Of Ducks and Roses
by The Virgin Butterfly
Summary: Written for the DMHGficexchange. From enemies... to partners... to friends... to so much more!  Huge thanks to UL for beta-ing... TWICE!
1. Battle Cry

**Title: Of Ducks and Roses**  
><strong>Rating: <strong>**PG-13**  
><strong>Recipient: <strong>**ayboo_da_bish**  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> J.K.R's characters are not mine. Shocking, I know…That includes the chunks of text I took straight out of Deathly Hollows.  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> minor character death, slight innuendos, alcohol usage and swearing. (ha ha… just noticed I wrote down no character death as a no-no on my form… oh well…)  
><strong>Author Note:<strong> Took out half of Deathly Hollows for this to work. It starts during the final battle on May 2 (my birth-date by the way), but the earliest date is some time around Christmas of DH (flashbacks galore!…Hermione reaches HQ after Malfoy Manor, I would say… instead of Shell Cottage). I know I was asked not to have Hogwarts time, but I think the first chapter can be considered borderline in this case. I just had to put it in…

It is also the first time I have written a fight scene. Yay me!

This story was written for the DMHGficexchange- the Darkest before Dawn.

Enjoy and review!

**Chapter 1: Battle Cry**

_It started out as a feeling  
>which then grew into a hope<br>_

A field on the outskirts of Hogsmeade

**Saturday, 2 May, 1998**

"Malfoy!" A desperate, familiar voice called to his right. He spun around searching for the voice's owner - his fighting partner, fearing she may be in trouble.

"Duck!"

Hundreds of practice hours kicked in at that moment and in three seconds, he fell to the ground with a thud while a green light flew inches away from where his head was a second ago. Without pausing, he rolled on his back and aimed a silent stunner at his attacker. As soon as the Death Eater hit the ground with his own heavy thud, Draco got to his feet and turned around quickly to assess his situation.

The crackling thunder of spells being thrown left and right echoed across the large field. A flash of light to his left had Draco running to the right as fast as he could to round his attacker and hit him from the side. In four strides, he was in position and aiming a curse at the masked man.

Five feet away from his current position Hermione Granger stood fighting, hair escaping her braid and a fiery look shining in her eyes as she shot spell after spell at the outnumbering attackers.

"Come on, Malfoy," she called, turning to him with a quick look. "Get back in the game…" She ran off, dueling with another masked wizard. He watched her move away for another few seconds, making sure she took the large man down without a hitch before returning to his part of the fight.

He spun again, taking down another two Death Eaters in as many minutes. Aside from Granger, there was no one else from the Order around them, and currently a group of ten still-standing wizards was slowly surrounding them. He saw her run back to his side, immediately turning her back to him so they were covering both sides. She moved closer until their frames bumped.

"Got a game plan, Granger?" he asked in an urgent whisper, turning his head slightly towards the brunette.

"Found spell few weeks ago," she murmured back, the words flowing out of her mouth as quickly as she could, turning into fighting mode. "Hard and complex but I can manage. Give time needed to get them off our backs and back in main fight. But need you to cover… at least two minutes. Manageable?" The Death Eaters were getting closer, evil grins peeking from behind their masks at the sight of their trapped prey.

"You duck, I'll cover," he gave her the signal and immediately started the countdown, as he knew she would too.

_One_…He felt her nod, her muscles tensing.

_Two_… he closed his eyes, listening to the dark Wizards approaching and feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

_Three_…

She crouched down behind him, mumbling complex incantations under her breath as he spun and threw a few Diffindos along with three stinging hexes.

Their opponents immediately retaliated, sending multi-colored beams towards the pair. Draco bent down, his form curling perfectly against her petite one, conjuring a small but forceful shield in seconds. _Another minute and a half to go_ , he thought bitterly, suppressing the thoughts that floated to his brain at the feel of a woman in his arms. He looked up, sending another round of curses and hexes, knocking down about three wizards so far. At least he was slowing them down. _Just forty-five seconds to go_. He sent an Expulso charm at two of the larger men, making them fly a few feet back and fall on their backs. _Come on, Granger_, he urged in his head, sending more badly aimed curses at the advancing group. He was just about to put another shield charm around them before the first one collapsed when she turned around in his arms, her face a breath away from his. He looked in her eyes; they were two cinnamon orbs, shimmering with an undercurrent of power and magic, ready to unleash at their unsuspecting prey. "Duck," she murmured in a voice that was cold as ice yet filled with fire at the same time.

_One_… Draco immediately crouched…

_Two_… just as she stood up to her full height, her aura crackling with pent-up energy.

_Three_…

The world exploded in a flash of black light*. Draco snapped his eyes shut, his hands curling into fists to stop himself from the natural instinct to find Granger's hand and protect her from… herself. He stayed that way for what felt like hours though was only about five minutes. Finally, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Malfoy," Granger said in a gentle voice, helping him stand as he still had his eyes shut tight. At last, he opened his eyes to see the field around them filled with unconscious men, all bound in large shackles.

"You…" he said in a raspy voice. He cleared his throat. "You did this?" she nodded, swaying slightly; he caught her around the middle with one hand. "You alright, Granger?"

She nodded again. "It's just this spell, it takes its force from the caster, and I've never used it before…" she panted slightly as they started walking towards the far away castle. Draco could not believe they had gone so far in their trials to get the twenty or so Death Eaters away from the escaping kids in Hogsmeade. "…only knew… theory… said it takes… ten minutes to restore… power after first try…"

"But I doubt it's meant for two, am I right?" he concluded.

She nodded, taking a large breath before panting out the rest. "Supposed to be used as last resort when there's one person that needs to be protected… had to modify for two…" she staggered in his arms, almost falling. He reached his hand to the small bag of potions on his belt and took out a tiny vial with dark liquid inside.

"Strengthening Solution," he muttered as he uncorked it for her and let her drink it. When she finished, she rasped out a quick, "Thanks," and continued walking towards the thundering school.

He walked beside her, thanking whatever gods were out there for the little time they had to walk in peace before joining the main battle.

He had switched sides just six months before; it felt a lifetime ago.

He was paired off with Severus, not surprising really. The man was both his guardian and his only friend in Headquarters. Both he and the potion master played the roles of double agents, Snape at Hogwarts and Draco at Malfoy Manor. He did, however, warm up to the little She-Weasel and her twin brothers after a while.

He was quickly brought up to speed on all minor operations, but not yet trusted with the larger things. Slowly, however, he was given more responsibility both around the Black house and on missions. Still, the largest secret, the whereabouts and doings of the Golden Trio, was kept hidden from him. That is, until the night they stumbled into HQ for the first time since his arrival, three and a half months prior.

It was right after Draco had returned from Malfoy Manor. After explaining what had happened during the night between his family, the Golden Trio and Dobby, he was sent on guard duty by Lupin. He was still trying to cope with the fact that Dobby was dead when they burst in.

Potter and Weasley were covered in blood and dirt, just barely holding between them a mass of brown hair, pale skin and red blotches. Granger was hurt, and they'd come back to the only place they felt was safe.

Draco sounded the alarm quickly, awakening the sleeping residents and running full speed to the hurt girl. As soon as his hands were around her, the two boys collapsed on the floor, unconscious. That was the night he dropped his act and left home for good.

Three days later, Granger woke up in her room in Grimmauld Place, and the only other occupant at that moment was a sleeping Draco. Her scream of rage woke him up. She charged at him, lost in a haze of anger. Lupin and Severus practically had to peel her off him. When she had calmed down enough, they explained to her what happened, including Draco's redemption and Severus's deception. Finally, she asked in a haunted whisper where her two friends were. Lupin looked away in shame, Severus stayed silent, and so she turned her question to Draco. In a quiet voice he explained that as soon as they'd heard she'd be alright, they'd left to keep chasing Horcruxes. (He left out the part where _he_ was the one to have a screaming argument with them about how they were going to break her heart when she found out and how they should at least stay until she woke up.) The strangled sobs she made wrenched at his gut. He actually _ached_ to comfort her. _Her!_

For two weeks, she walked around with a deadened look on her face. Her wounds healed and she was finally ready to start training at HQ, at least physically. Emotionally, she wasn't ready for anything. She would sit on her bed, or in the library, not doing anything, not seeing anything. The She-Weasel (one of the few people Draco actually managed to be… friendly... with) tried everything to get her best friend to talk, but with no luck. Finally, the desperate redheaded witch came to Draco, asking for his help.

He still remembered it like it was yesterday.

I/_She hadn't talked to him since she'd attacked him that day she came to. He walked into the library, peeking behind the corner to see if she was there; he sincerely hoped she wasn't. She was. Granger sat on one of the posh armchairs, an open book in her lap, but she wasn't reading; her eyes were closed and silent tears were streaming down her face. He knew what he had to do. _

"_Crying for Pot-Head and Weasel?" he asked, a snarl appearing on his lips. Merlin, it felt good to be bad again! _

_She wiped the tears away with the back of her small hand. "That's none of your business, Ferret," she mumbled, already looking to Draco slightly more alive. He ignored her._

"_I don't get why you even bother to. They obviously don't care, if they left like that," he chuckled in a way he hoped sounded evil. _

_Her eyes opened and he could spy a tiny flame lighting up inside of her. It was working. _

"_That's not true, you evil git…." _

"_Oh, nice comeback, Bookworm. Got any more of those?" he said, smirking. _

"_They… they had to go!" She said forcefully. _

"_You're not even convincing yourself, you know, least of all me." _

_She was now standing just inches away from him, the flame grew into roaring blades of fire. "They had to go! This whole freaking war is leaning on whether or not they can do what they have to do! It's not their fault! IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT!" and she collapsed on him, loud sobs that she hadn't let out finally breaking free. He ran his hand in a soothing manner over her back, through her wild curls, surprised by how soft they actually were. _

"_I know, Granger… I know…," he murmured. "And it has nothing to do with you… they had to go and they left you where you could heal… where you could help…" They stayed like that for hours; her crying out her pain, letting go of the anger and hurt, and him hugging her close to him, murmuring sweet nothings in her ear._

The next day she began her training with Draco and Severus and he hasn't seen her cry since.

"Malfoy?" Granger asked, waking him from his daydreaming.

"Hmm?"

"What if they don't show up?" she asked in quiet voice, revealing another timid part of her soul to him.

"They will…" he answered simply. "This is it, Granger, the Big Battle, where we win it all or lose it all. It's sort of granted they'll show up…" She gave him a small smile in thanks. He forced his features into a cold mask, readying himself for the battle to come as they walked into the island of destruction formally known as Hogsmeade. Explosions of light could be seen in the distant grounds of the castle. Draco started walking faster now, his eyes set on the school.

Suddenly, he was being dragged into a dark alley by Granger's small frame, her petite hand on his mouth as an effective signal to shut up and wait. A moment later, two large half-giants ran past their hiding place towards the fight. Her hand fell away from his mouth as they stayed rooted to the spot. Finally he broke the silence. "Shit, that was close."

She looked at him sternly, not appreciating his attempt at lightening the mood. She looked around the corner then walked back out to the main street, moving faster now, with a purpose. He followed her, his eyes once again falling on the ancient castle he had learned to call home, although this time, he didn't forget to look around himself every once in a while.

They walked with a sharp silence, wands at hand and eyes alight with the fire of battle. All too soon, it seemed, they were at the dark gates of Hogwarts, the sounds of fighting thick in the air. As if they could read minds they took off in a dead run towards the castle. They ran through the small battles around, not paying them any mind, moving farther and closer as they dodged spells, until finally, they entered the Entrance Hall together. They raced up to the seventh floor, knowing everyone that mattered would be in the Room of Requirement. Just before rounding the corner, they saw an old lady in a horrid green dress run past them with surprising speed, behind her a petite woman with bright pink hair Draco realized was his cousin, Tonks. The two ran fast, giving them no time to exchange pleasantries, though. They stopped by the large oak doors of the Room of Requirement and Draco could hear arguing voices from inside.

"Ginny," Potter's voice could be heard. Apparently Granger hadn't heard him yet as she was breathing hard. "I'm sorry, but we need you to leave too. Just for a bit. Then you can come back in."

Suddenly, the door opened and out ran the She-Weasel, her mass of red hair looking like fire. "And then you can come back in!" Potter shouted, to no avail. _"You've got to come back in!"_

"Harry?" Granger asked from next to him in a tiny voice, looking franticly around. Draco pointed at the door. She jumped to her feet, running to the door just as it opened to reveal Weasley and Potter. She jumped on them, crying out in joy. "Harry! Ron! You're alright! You're ok! You're here! Oh, Merlin, you're here!"

The two boys just stood there, letting the brunette hug them, as if they've gone into shock at the sight of her. And then they were hugging her back fiercely, as if they would never let go, whispering things in her ear, tears standing in all their eyes.

"Hang on a moment!" Weasley suddenly said, letting go of her. "We've forgotten someone!"

Granger looked at him in confusion. "Who?"

"The house-elves, they'll all be down in the kitchen, won't they?"

Draco gave him a bored look and Potter now shared Granger's confusion. "You mean we ought to get them fighting?" Potter asked.

"No, I mean we should tell them to get out. We don't want more Dobbys, do we?" A pang of regret hit Draco in the chest at the name of his old house-elf. Weasley continued. "We can't order them to die for us-"

And then Granger was all over Weasley, hugging and kissing his lips fiercely. Draco looked away.

"Is this the moment?" Potter asked and for the first time in his life, Draco wholeheartedly agreed with Scar-head. The two embracing teens ignored him. He looked at Draco pleadingly.

"Oi! There's a war going on here!" the blonde shouted at them. They parted slightly, hands still around each other, both grinning sheepishly.

"I know, mate, so it's now or never, isn't it?"

"Never mind that," Potter said, apparently gaining back his voice. "What about the Horcrux? Do you think you could just – just hold it in until we've gotten the diadem?"

"Yeah – right – sorry –" Weasley said, not sounding very sorry at all. He let go of Granger and started picking something up from the floor.

"The diadem? What's going on, Harry?" Granger asked, still pink in the cheeks.

"We haven't got time to explain; basically, Ravenclaw's diadem, that thing from Luna's house, remember? Anyways, it's the missing Horcrux and it's in the Room of Hidden Things." As he explained, Potter got down and started helping Weasley with whatever they were doing. Granger looked down too and gasped when she saw the sharp teeth.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Weasley looked up at her and smiled. "Basilisk teeth," he said, nodding and looking quite pleased with himself.

"It was Ron's idea, 'Mione," Potter told her. "You should have seen him!" Weasley blushed an unattractive red that clashed horribly with his hair and looked down at his full hands. Then he looked back up and seemed to notice Draco for the first time. "What are you doing here?" he asked, scowling.

"Granger and I are partners," he answered simply. Weaselbee turned to look at the blushing brunette.

"What is he talking 'bout, 'Mione?"

She looked down, looking nervous. "You were gone… and –"

"And you need to go get that diadem thing!" Draco interrupted. "Granger and I need to get back into the fight." He looked at her and she nodded, looking away from her friends. "Come on, Granger, Lupin will be waiting for our report." He walked away then, letting her say goodbye to her friends. The two boys might have an important mission, and they might need her, but Draco knew that Granger would stay with him, her partner in battle. He stopped just before turning the corner, though, keeping her in his sight and still able to hear their little conversation.

"You're going with _him_?" Weasley asked her, looking as if the whole idea was completely ludicrous.

"Yes, Ron, I am… We're partners…" She scowled, then her features seemed to soften. "Listen, good luck with the diadem, don't put it on in case it has any curses put on it; it's a long shot but it could happen. I'll be back with you guys as soon as I can. Don't do anything foolish, alright?" She hugged them again, let go then turned towards Draco and caught his eye. He turned to look around the corner, watching people run up and down, screaming orders at one another. He was itching to rejoin the fight. He turned back to watch her. She nodded to herself and started walking to where he stood, never looking back over her shoulder. Just as she reached him, an explosion hit the castle wall and large pieces broke away, falling towards them. In a flash, he was on the floor as far away from the fallen wall as possible, holding Granger's petite body against his larger frame, protecting her from the debris of stone and rock.

Draco looked up when things had settled slightly to see that the fight had resumed in the collapsed corridor. He spotted his cousin struggling against a large Death Eater.

"Stay down, I'll be right back," he whispered to his partner. Without waiting for her to argue, he got up and ran towards Tonks, firing a body-bind hex at her attacker from behind.

"Tonks!" he called as the Death Eater fell with a thud. "Get over here!" She ran towards him, dodging two falling bricks on her way.

"What's up, baby Malfoy?" she asked, her eyes bright and full of adrenaline. He scowled at her carefree attitude.

"Have you seen Remus? Granger and I are supposed to report to him." He bent down as a hex flew above his head. She mimicked him, sliding quickly against the still standing inner wall of the corridor.

"Where's 'Mione?"

"Right here," Draco's partner's voice came from beside him.

"Do you ever just listen?" he asked her in frustration, turning to look at her. She smirked and Tonks actually laughed. "Tonks, focus, please, we need to find Remus."

She sobered up. "Last I heard he was leading a group of fighters into the grounds. I was on my way to him but got caught up and I don't know where to look now."

"Alright you three?" a deep voice from above them said, sounding frighteningly like their old Headmaster.

Tonks was the first to look up. "Oh! Aberforth! Have you seen Remus?"

"He was dueling Dolohov, last time I –" The three took off at a dead run towards the grounds, hoping against all hope that they would make it in time. As they raced, Draco found himself once again zig-zagging through the grounds of Hogwarts, this time though, the life of a man that was almost like an uncle to him was on the line, and he could not afford to lose the people he cared for; there were so few of them after all, each one precious to him. They were next to Hagrid's burning hut when they found Remus. He was dueling with Dolohov, a fierce, determined look in his eyes. Draco let out a sigh of relief; he was reassured, once again, that nothing could truly hurt the intelligent werewolf. And then, Dolohov hit him with a curse.

They watched as he fell, looking straight into Tonks' eyes. Just before hitting the ground, he looked into his wife's eyes and whispered with his last breath, "I love you."

"No… No… NO! REMUS!" Tonks screamed, running towards him, ignoring her husband's killer. Dolohov grinned maniacally at Draco, smirking as he moved his eyes to the heartbroken woman. Draco ran without thinking, sending a stinging hex right at Dolohov to stop him from coming anywhere near his cousin and her grief. As he started dueling with the menacing man, he saw Granger out of the corner of his eye, holding Tonks and carrying her away along with Remus' body. Draco had no time to grieve over the loss of his mentor as Dolohov sent a crucio his way. He barely managed to move away in time before the red light flew over his head.

"Well, well, well. I think I've got myself a Malfoy!" Dolohov smirked evilly, circling the weary teen. "What should I do with you…? Decisions, decisions…"

Draco and he were now circling each other, waiting for the slightest movement that would single the next attack.

"I think I'll send your dead body to your mummy, what do you think, eh?" He sent a spell at Draco, who dodged it easily.

"Enough games, Malfoy." He flicked his wand quickly, giving Draco only enough time to fall to the ground. Another curse shot above his head, but this time from behind him, aimed at Dolohov. It missed, but it gave Draco enough time to get back on his feet. In seconds, his partner was standing next to him, her eyes ablaze with the fire of promised retribution. She barely twitched her hand, and to anyone else it would look just like that, but Draco knew exactly what it meant. He almost felt bad for what the two of them were about to do to Dolohov.

One… they pointed their wands.

Two… Dolohov smirked at them, completely confident he would be able to beat the two eighteen-year-olds.

Three… Draco shot a stinging spell just to Dolohov's left at the same time as Granger aimed for the right. He shot a spell now to Dolohov's right and she to his left. And again, and again, and again. The large Death Eater stood between their perfectly timed hexes and courses, unable to move an inch in case he was hit. Then, when his eyes darted to the left then the right and back, they shot two body-binding spells straight at his chest. He was knocked backwards about five feet, hitting the hard ground loudly. With a practiced flick, Granger then shackled him and made sure he was truly unable to move or fight anymore. At that point the sounds of the battle around them filtered through to Draco's consciousness. He looked to his left and his heart fell; Tonks was standing there, tears falling freely down her cheeks with her eyes dark and menacing, glaring at her dueling partner: Draco's aunt, Bellatrix.

"Itsy, Bitsy, Tonksy lost her little pet," Bellatrix spat, grinning widely at her niece. "How does it feel, Tonksy?"

"Even if I told you," Tonks said in a strained tone, "you wouldn't be able to understand, because," hex, "you," curse, "don't," spell, "have," jinx, "a….HEART!" and she sent a killing curse towards her aunt. It missed wildly; the woman was too distraught from the death of her husband, she could not possibly fight. Just as he was about to intervene, Bellatrix sent a fatal spell straight to Tonks' heart. She fell to the ground, her face stained by tears and now dirt. Draco ran to her, falling to his knees next to Tonks.

"Draco," his aunt said, a maniacal laugh leaving her lips. "I'll leave you to it my dear, dear boy." He ran to her but she was already gone. He ignored the tears, blinking them away as he tried to concentrate on his cousin. Gently he lifted her body up and carried it slowly into the castle. He laid her down next to her husband's body, letting the tears fall. He felt a presence next to him.

"Ginny," he mumbled in a hoarse voice. "They're… they're dead…"

"Sh…" she murmured, putting her arms around him. She let him cry on her shoulder for long minutes, until there were no more tears. "I'm sorry, Draco, but we have to keep fighting. All of us. You can't break yet, ok?" He nodded, looking at the closest thing he had to a family; they were gone now, looking so peaceful with their faces gazing up at the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall. Suddenly, he could feel the redhead next to him getting restless. He turned to her and saw she was looking around the hall with concern. "I can't see Hermione; she left to find you and I haven't seen her come back." In seconds, he was on his feet and bolting out of the hall, somehow knowing exactly where to find his partner.

He ran faster then he ever had, faster then the wind, all his being straining towards his partner. He could not afford to lose her, absolutely not her.

He found them, her and her attacker, by the forbidden forest, dueling mercilessly. He was still too far away to help.

"Get out of my way, Mudblood!" Lucius growled, pointing his surrogate wand at Granger.

"No way in hell," she said back, circling with the blond Death Eater. "I'm not letting you get anywhere near him!" _She was protecting Potter_, Draco thought to himself. _Good!_

"He is my _son_, you filthy piece of trash." Draco stopped short. Hermione Granger was protecting… him. He had no time to think about it; he saw his father make a move with his wand he had seen the man do many, many times; too many times. Draco could practically see the words forming on his lips. "Avad…"

"NO!" Draco screamed as he run towards his father and his partner. "HERMIONE! D-U-C-K!" Instinct kicked in and she fell to the rough ground just as the spell shot above her head. "STAY DOWN!" he shouted to her, firing curse after curse at his father. He dodged all of them, laughing at his son.

"You're fighting for her, Draco?" he asked, snickering. "Really, Son, I taught you so much better then that. Now, go away and let me finish off the little Mudblood," and with that said, he turned away from Draco and back to Granger, still lying on the ground. "Crucio," he cast lazily. It hit her right in the back, making her shudder, twitch, and cry out in pain. Draco aimed his wand at his father and sent an Exploso at Lucius's feet. His concentration immediately broke and the spell was lifted from Granger. With a dark glare he turned to his son.

Just as he was about to strike, they could all hear Voldemort's high, cold voice say, "You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery.

"Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste.

"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately." Lucius moved away, disappearing in to the forest. Draco wanted to follow, but Granger was hurt and unconscious and he needed to take care of her. He moved to her side as the deadly voice continued talking, lifting her up in his arms and walking towards the school. "You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour." Than the voice was gone, leaving the grounds eerily silent. Draco walked into the Great Hall once again, watching the rows of dead, sadness filling him up inside.

"Hermione?" Ginny's voice called as she spotted Draco carrying the body. She ran to him at full speed, tears already falling down her face. "Is she… is she…" she tried saying, as she stopped next to him. He shook his head.

"She's just unconscious," he said loudly so that the rest of the people rushing towards them would hear too. He looked down at Ginny again, seeing her questions in her eyes. "My father found her. He was trying to get to me. She was trying to defend me." He watched Granger's face as she started coming to, putting her down on a mattress. He continued telling Ginny what happened as she examined the confused brunette. "He sent a crucio at her when he saw me. We were getting ready to duel when _he_ started talking." She nodded, using a few basic spells to make sure Granger wasn't badly injured, then turned back to Draco.

"She'll be just fine. Give her a minute or two to understand what's going on, then both of you come to the room connected to the Great Hall, Kingsley has taken over leadership now that Remus is… is…"

He nodded, telling her he understood. She left with a nod of her own, tending to other injured but Draco could see her glance towards the doors every few seconds, waiting for Potter.

The allotted hour passed in a haze of taking care of the injured, mourning the dead and comforting one another, and Potter had yet to appear. Then, just as the hour was up, a voice boomed throughout the castle grounds, making Draco shiver. "Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone.

"The battle is won. You have lost half your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, men, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle, now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live, and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

The Great Hall filled with a silent so tangible, Draco could feel himself breathing it in. Slowly, moving as one, as if under a spell, everyone that still could, stood up and started walking towards the entrance of the school. Granger stood next to him, holding Weasley's left hand, his other arm secured around his little sister. Professor McGonagall, beaten and weary, was the first one out. The scream of agony that left her lips shook them all to the core, making them move as if in water. Then they were outside the castle, and Draco could see Potter's body in Hagrid's arms and his three companions screamed and howled and cried, broken completely. The rest of the fighters joined in with their calls, including Draco.

"SILENCE!" The Dark Lord cried, pointing his wand at the crowd of howling fighters, silencing them forcefully. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!" The sobbing gamekeeper lay Potter gently at Voldemort's feet, then stepped back. "You see? Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"He beat you!" Weasley yelled, breaking the charm. They screamed once again, and again they were silenced with a spell.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds, killed while trying to save himself –" he was cut off by Neville Longbottom, running full speed towards the snake-like man. He was shot down immediately by Voldemort himself. Disarmed and defenseless, he was forced to kneel before the Dark Lord.

"And who is this? Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?" he hissed as Bellatrix cackled.

"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord!" she laughed out. "The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"Ah, yes, I remember," Voldemort said, a sort of smile forming on his disfigured face. "But you are a pure-blood, aren't you, my brave boy?"

"So what if I am?" Neville said loudly, and Draco immediately admired and truly respected the once stumbling, bubbling boy turned powerful man. The brave Gryffindor was kneeling in front of the most feared Wizard in the world and he was still defying him, fighting him; and that act of strength gave Draco hope, hope that they might have a chance to win after all.

"You show spirit, and bravery, and you come of noble stock." Draco snorted at that. "You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," Neville spat. "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted and a loud cheer came from the light side, from Draco's lips, _a battle cry_.

"Very well," Voldemort said and Draco could hear the darkness of his non-existent soul in the deadened voice. "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan, on your head be it." He waved his wand and seconds later Draco could hear something zooming from behind him, from the top window of the castle, and then Voldemort was holding the Sorting Hat. "There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more houses. The emblem, shield and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone, won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

He pointed his wand at Neville, making him grow instantly rigid, and forced the Hat onto Neville's head, beyond his eyes. Draco wanted to do something to save the brave, brave man who gave him hope when all else seemed to fade, but he couldn't, a now-awake Dolohov had his wand pointed straight at his chest, and his father pointed his at Draco's partner. He couldn't move.

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me," Voldemort said, and with a flick of his wand, the Sorting Hat burst into flames. There was screaming from all around Draco, because Neville Longbottom was going up in flames, literally, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop the horrible torture happening before their very eyes. Then suddenly, there was chaos.

The sound of charging hooves assaulted the air as Voldemort's giants charged at the running form of Hagrid's little brother and the Forbidden Forest's centaurs. The unmistakable sound of bows being drawn gave them only a slight warning before hundreds of arrows made there way towards the Death Eaters. Then, with a fluid movement, Neville threw the burning Hat off his head, a shining sword appearing in his hand and with it, he slew Voldemort's snake. The disembodied head of the viper fell to the ground to its master's feet, and he was screaming, but no one could hear and then Hagrid's voice cut above all the screams, and spells, and roars, "HARRY! HARRY-WHERE'S HARRY?"

The centaurs were now making the Death Eaters run inside, gaining control of the yard, and the Hogwartians were chasing after the dark figures, fighting with renewed hope, or maybe desperation. Draco ran after Dolohov, zig-zagging between the fights, losing sight of Granger. That didn't matter at the moment; he knew she could take care of herself, at least until Lucius found her again.

Dolohov turned around just in time to see Draco firing his spell straight at the Death Eater's heart. Lupin's killer fell with an insignificant thud and Draco jumped over his unconscious body, in a hurry to catch his father before the elder Malfoy found Granger.

But suddenly an achingly familiar voice cut through him. "Draco!" his mother called out, running to him. He stopped dead, looking at Narcissa with shock.

"He let you come here, why did he let you come here?" Draco asked her in desperation. He thought his father loved Narcissa as much as Draco did, even if Lucius hated his son.

"I came for you, my son. Now, please, Draco, come with me to safety. He wants you dead. Please," she pleaded, desperation clear in her voice.

"I can't, Mother, I have chosen to fight for this side. They depend on me and I on them," he told her wretchedly, seeing Lucius looking around franticly for Draco's partner. "Please leave, Mother, stay away from the fighting. I will see you after this is finished, one way or another."

"I will do no such thing, Draco Lucius Malfoy!"

"Please, Mother," he begged of her, itching to go help Granger in her fight.

"I am not going anywhere, Draco, I am fighting by your side, my son."

Draco looked at his mother in awe, momentarily forgetting about the madness around them. Finally, he nodded. "Stay safe, Mother."

She nodded in return before running to fight a hooded figure that was attacking Luna. Draco threw her another quick look to make sure she was alright before turning to look for Granger.

He found her, battling Bellatrix alongside Ginny and Luna. They were fighting their hardest but his aunt was faster then all three. She was actually laughing as she shot a killing curse at Luna, missing by mere inches. Draco felt a whoosh of air pass him as he watched, but then Bellatrix was aiming her wand at Granger and Draco was running as fast as he could, knowing what would happen next if he didn't tackle his partner to the ground. He knocked into her right as the spell shot above them. Bellatrix didn't seem to notice as she pointed her wand and her curse towards Ginny. It just barely missed the redhead, but before Draco could engage in the fight, Molly Weasley's voice roared through the hall, "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

The two women fought as the air crackled around them with a promise of death. Draco quickly got to his feet and took hold of Granger's waist, hoisting her away from the fight to the far corner of the room, away from Voldemort and his battle with McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, helping her seat against the wall. She nodded, panting slightly.

"I think I cracked a rib when you ran in to me," she murmured, holding her stomach. Draco got to his knees in front of her, muttering a few basic healing charms over her body. She relaxed slightly and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally," Dolohov's voice came from behind Draco and he stiffened, "I have you right where I want you. Let go of your wands, Malfoy, Granger," he growled. They let them fall to the harsh floor, looking at each other, both trying to find a way out of their mess. A strange silence seemed to fall on the crowd of fighters, and through the mass of people watching, Draco could see someone circling with Voldemort.

"Harry," Granger's muffled cry came but was immediately silenced by Dolohov.

"Get up," he sneered, "Quietly. We're going outside so I can finish you both off."

Draco got up, knowing they had no choice, and helped Granger up, sliding his hand around her waist while trying to push her slightly behind him so she wouldn't be hit by a curse.

Dolohov looked at them with wild eyes, leading them as if to the plank, out of the hall, through the entrance and down the stairs to the castle's dark grounds. "Faster!" he bit out, poking Draco's back with his wand. Draco stumbled slightly, trying to get Granger as far away from the mad Death Eater as he could. She looked at him with wide fear-filled eyes. For a moment he was shocked into stopping; he had never seen her afraid, of anything. All Draco wanted to do at that moment was protect her, protect the girl who had been his savior in more ways then one. He squeezed her waist, trying to convey to her that he was there with her, and that somehow, they would come out of this; he just didn't know how. The trust in her eyes burned through him, giving him strength.

"What do you want?" Draco sneered at Dolohov as they stopped by the lake.

The large Death Eater smirked maniacally, his mind long gone. "To hurt you and kill her," he told them, almost gleefully. Granger shuddered behind Draco.

"I won't let you touch her," Draco stated, holding his arms out to keep her out of Dolohov's line of fire.

"Then I will just have to kill you first! AVADA –"

"NO!" Lucius's voice came out of nowhere, and suddenly, Draco's father flung in front of Draco, the curse hitting him right in the chest. He managed, however, to send his own killing curse at Dolohov right before he fell and a second later, Dolohov was dead, his maniacal laugh still plastered to his face.

Draco fell to his knees by his father's head. Behind him, Granger sat down too, he hand on his shoulder, his anchor to reality.

"He…I…I thought… immortal…" Draco mumbled, turning to her, his eyes wide and his breathing shallow.

"Come on," Granger murmured. She helped him up, holding him now with an arm around his waist. They walked slowly, not looking back at the fallen bodies by the shore of the lake, and they finally reached the Great Hall just as Voldemort sneered at Potter and said, "I killed Severus Snape three hours ago…" Draco didn't hear the rest, he collapsed to the floor as The Dark Lord and The-Boy-Who-Lived kept talking. But how could they? He wanted to scream. How could the world keep spinning if Severus Snape was dead?

He didn't know how long he sat there in a heap on the floor, but he heard his name being said a few times by the only two wizards still sparring, then the rising sun hit his eyes and he heard two voices yell at the same time:

"_Avada Kedavra!" _

"_Expelliarmus!"_

There was a bang and a flash of golden flames, and a silence as Draco saw the killer of Severus Snape, his only real father, fall to the ground, dead. Then there were screams, and tears, and hands touching each other with joy, and only Draco was left numb with the loss of everything. The screams seemed far away, the tears did not touch his eyes, and the hands felt cold and dead to him, like the whole world, because Severus Snape was gone. But then a warm hand touched his arm and helped him up. He let the hand dictate his movement, and his entire world was suddenly that warm little hand, anchoring him once again to earth.

He was laid down on a bed. He didn't know what it looked like, and he didn't care; if his anchor seemed to think it was good enough for him, then it was. He lay there and let the oblivion of sleep fall over his exhausted body.

But just before it took him under, he felt the hand in his hand and a quiet voice told him, "It will be okay, I am here. I'm here." In his mind those words stayed, slipping into his dreams and holding him as he slept. In the depths of his seemingly dead heart, a new battle cry was born.

000

_And then that word grew louder and louder  
>'til it was a battle cry<em>

A\N:

Black light – as explained in "Good Omens" (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman): "The technical term for it is infrablack. It can be seen quite easily under experimental conditions. To perform the experiment simply select a healthy brick wall with a good run-up, and, lowering your head, charge. The color that flashes in bursts behind your eyes, behind the pain, just before you die, is infrablack."

The original request:

_Would you prefer an art or fic gift? Fic, please! :)_

_Preferred rating: PG-13_

_Describe what you'd like in as few words/keywords as possible: Speculative ending (not very happy, nor very sad); smidge of Lucius/Narcissa; life and death situation; true blue love._

_Optional: Song, Poem, or Quote (title/original creator): The Call (Regina Spektor) or In a station of the Metro (Ezra Pound). Take your pick!_

_Dealbreakers (absolute no-no's): non-con and adultery (even allusions to those); Hogwarts Era; muscles developed from Quidditch._


	2. Change

**A/N:** a huge thank you goes to my wonderful beta- UnseenLibrarian, thank you for doing this chapter! Get well soon!

000

**Chapter 2: Change**

_Just because everything's changing  
>doesn't mean it's never been this way before<em>

000

**Malfoy Manor**

**Tuesday, 20 October, 1998**

It was six pm and Draco Malfoy was sitting in his late father's study, good and inebriated from the bottle of Ogden's finest resting on the table beside him. He picked it up with unsteady hands and, glancing once again at the document he was holding, which was Lucius Malfoy's Last Will and Testament, he poured himself another glassful.

"Cheers, Father," he slurred, raising the glass, toasting the air then throwing the drink down his throat. He was truly too numb to acknowledge the burning quality in the drink as it ran its course through his body. "Bastard," he swore under his breath, standing up and walking around the room on slightly wobbly legs. "BASTARD!" he shouted, throwing the expensive crystal into the fireplace, where it exploded magnificently.

His father was not only a coward but also a right git, desperate to make his only son pay for leaving him with his crazed beliefs. The Malfoy patriarch must have suspected he would die during the war, and had decided to leave Draco with nothing. Absolutely, bloody, _NOTHING_ but the guilt of knowing he saved him in his righteous death. All of Lucius' fortune was apparently spent away on the Dark Lord's needs and on Lucius' gambling. Malfoy Co. had also suffered, finally bankrupting a month after the war had ended. Truth be told, Draco had never wanted it anyway, but without it he would need to find a job. However, the worst part was that even the Manor wasn't Draco's. It was his mother's, and she wanted nothing to do with the godforsaken setting of her nightmares; deciding, instead, to move in with her sister, Andromeda, and help take care of Andy's now orphaned grandson, Teddy Lupin. 'Burn it, for all I care,' was what Narcissa had said to Draco the last time they had spoken. He would like nothing better, but he couldn't. It was the only place he had to live at the moment, and with the Ministry too busy conducting war crime trials against Death Eaters, it would take ages to get the proper approvals to rent a flat, let alone buy one. He couldn't even sell the goddamn Manor or the objects in it, by court order. It was safe to say, that even six months after the war had ended, the only change the Manor had suffered was a dwindling in its extensive liquor collection.

He sat down on the large sofa, reminiscing about the months of training before the war, if only to forget his current predicament for a little while.

"_Alright, Draco, Miss Granger," Severus__ said in his deep voice said as he stood before his two old-new students. "I am going to be your instructor. I will teach you to fight better then you ever thought you could possibly fight. I will make you both, together, a weapon so powerful, you will work as if you are one. I will not tolerate laziness, complaining, or any slacking on your part. I ask for you both to trust me fully and do exactly as I say, understood?" They both nodded. "Also, when I am busy playing my role at the Dark Lord's side, Lupin has agreed to teach you. I expect you both to respect him as much as you will learn to respect me." They nodded again. _

"_Your practices will consist each time of a game which will have an objective and a set of rules you must follow. The rules will constantly change from game to game. Sometimes, I might not even give you the rules and you will have to determine what they are as you play. You will have a game a day at first, then more. They will become more demanding as time passes. Also, I will be timing you, so remember speed is of the essence._

"_Lupin and I have turned the attic into a sort of Room of Requirement which only he or I can change. The minute you enter the room, the game begins and will not end until you have reached your objective. First game starts tomorrow at six am. Goodnight," and with that, he left._

The first game had been a simple enough form of a treasure hunt in a forest-like area. In the second game, they were blindfolded. In the third, they were cuffed to each other.

It took Granger and him three weeks to develop enough trust in each other to start playing the big league, so to speak. In the month and a half after that they had learned a new language of codes, hints, and signals that only the two of them understood fully.

_Duck and Cover_ was the first one. Severus had suggested they find a way to let their partner know they had three seconds to do something or other. Granger had remembered how in Elementary (which she explained to him meant a children's school) they were taught to _Duck_ down and find some kind of cover in the possibility of a nuclear attack. They built a system where _Duck_ meant to get on the ground in three seconds. _Cover_ meant the other was looking out for you, and 'You duck, I'll cover' meant that in exactly three seconds, they were to go into action. They learned to count at the same pace after much trial and error- Snape would make them stand across each other and start counting, when they reached three one would get down while the other fired a curse at the other, it took them two weeks to perfect that move.. They learned to be partners; they learned to work as one.

Draco remembered again the moment when he thought Granger had not heard his warning to duck and his father was running towards her, wand held high, firing curse after curse at her. A shudder ran through the blond.

He was just about to pour himself another drink in a new glass, when someone gently knocked on the door.

The young Malfoy sighed, then called a slurred, "Come in,", continuing to make his way towards the bottle of his salvation.

"Master Draco, sir," Episkey's voice, his personal house-elf and one of the few left in the service of the Malfoys' (paid of course), came from the crack in the wooden door. "Missy Her-me-one is here…" she mumbled, getting the name wrong, _again_

Draco sat down again on the sofa, sighing again and taking a swig straight from the bottle. "Let her in," he answered, knowing the witch would not be happy to see him drunk, _again_. The little elf bobbed her large head, disappearing behind the door. Draco lay his head on his hands, massaging his aching head. The door opened. He didn't have to look up to know Granger was standing there, probably staring at him in disapproval. Finally, he felt the weight on the sofa shift slightly as she sat down next to him.

"Oh, Malfoy, what are you doing?" she sighed.

"Getting as drunk as I can as fast as I can," he answered, deciding to forgo the _duh!_ at the tip of his tongue. His voice lacked its snarky bite, though.

"Why this time?" she asked, shifting her weight. Without looking up Draco handed her the stack of papers. "What is this?"

"Lucius' Last Will and Testament," he answered bitterly, itching to have another drink but knowing the pesky Gryffindor would stop him before he got the chance to even have a sip. He sat beside her, completely resigned, as she read the words. Suddenly, he felt her stand and walk away.

"Where are the glasses, Malfoy?" she asked and he glanced up for the first time. She was looking around the room, her hair held up by her wand and still wearing her Law Enforcement navy blue robes, and she was looking for glasses… for Firewhisky… Draco was stunned into silence. "Hello, Malfoy? Glasses?" He pointed to the liquor cabinet and she walked to it, pulling out two crystals. She came back and sat down next to him, pouring each of them a sizable amount from the now nearly-empty bottle then handing him one.

"To that complete and utter bastard, Lucius Malfoy," she toasted. "May he rot in hell, right where he belongs!" she clicked her cup to his then drank the entire contents of the glass.

"To Lucius," Draco mumbled in replay, following her lead and drinking. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, both looking down at their hands in thought before Granger put down her glass.

"Right, Malfoy, we are getting out of here." She got up, crossing her hands and waiting for him to do the same.

"Wh… what?"

"I am going to make you swallow down some sobering potion and then we," she signaled at the two of them, "are getting out of here and going to dinner at the Leaky Cauldron where Ginny, Harry and Ron are joining us. None of them have seen you since graduation nearly two months ago!"

He got up, too tired to start arguing with the feisty brunette. "I don't get…" he mumbled as he got up. "Why do they want to see me? It's not as if we like each other…"

She frowned at him, her lower lip pouty. "Well, Malfoy, if you must know, they see you as a friend. I suppose you can't fight alongside another person in a deadly war and not care about them later," she answered slowly, as if explaining something to a child. It was his turn to frown at her. "Alrighty then, where do you keep your potions?"

"My room," he answered, dragging his feet towards the door. "Stay here, will you? I don't want you frightening Episkey like last time."

She glared at him. "That was an accident!"

"Whatever," he mumbled, leaving her in the study as he walked up to his room. He quickly found the correct potion in his storage and drank it all, hopping in the shower quickly. In ten minutes he was back in the room with her, clearing his throat to announce his arrival to the reading woman on the sofa.

She looked up from the book in her lap, setting it aside and getting up. She took out her wand. "See you at the Leaky Cauldron, Malfoy," and with a swish of her wand she Disapparated. Sighing again and pulling out his own wand, he followed suit.

000

Dinner, to Draco, was pure torture. He had spent two hours in the company of not one -which was bad enough- but TWO lovey-dovey, head-over-heels-in-love couples. He almost gagged when Weasley gave Granger a sloppy kiss, on the lips, right after eating his pasta. Thankfully, she didn't seem to enjoy it much either. He also had to watch as the Potter newlyweds couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other. The whole thing was disgusting really, but Granger made him swear he wouldn't go back to the Manor and get drunk, and for some reason he wanted to stay in Granger's good graces.

Finally, five minutes after midnight, she told him he could leave. She got up and looked at him sternly, putting her hands on her hips in a fantastic imitation of Molly Weasley, and then said, "And I'll be coming back tomorrow. Be ready by ten!" and with that she dismissed him, returning to her boyfriend.

Draco sighed, turning on the spot and Disapparating right to his bedroom. He took another quick shower, set the alarm clock and proceeded to get into bed. In five minutes, he was asleep.

He woke up to the sound of his alarm, way too early in his opinion. Cursing the witch under his breath, he got ready, not willing to be surprised by Granger's appearance again. He was putting on his shoes just as Episkey appeared in his chambers with a Pop!, announcing Granger's arrival. He sighed for the sixth time that morning before telling the little elf to ask his guest to wait in the lounge, and to bring him a cup of coffee.

Five minutes later he entered the room where the brunette witch was sitting.

"Morning, Granger," he acknowledged her, taking a sip from the steaming mug waiting for him on the short table.

"Good morning, Malfoy," she answered cheerfully, smiling up at him from her seat on the dark leather couch.

"What are you dragging me off to do?" he asked suspiciously; that sparkle in her eyes, he had learned through experience, was never a good thing.

"Straight to business?" she pouted. "I was thinking we could lounge around here for breakfast. I've already asked Episkey to bring the food here." He gave her his well-practiced glare, trying to convey his annoyance at her with his frown. "Oh, come off it, Malfoy. I'm sure you are just as hungry as I am! That all too loveable idiot I call 'boyfriend' finished all the food at home yesterday," she told him, her lower lip pouting out. He reluctantly sat down on the couch opposite her, giving in to her demands. That pout should not be allowed, he decided, taking another sip from his drink. Episkey walked in then, silently putting a tray of food on the low glass table and then leaving the room after giving her master a tiny curtsy.

They ate in silence, Granger too busy filling her empty stomach and Draco too annoyed with her to speak. Finally, she swallowed her last bite and turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow at his put-off expression.

"Alright," she announced, standing up. "Loads to do. Better get going."

He stayed seated. "I'm not going anywhere, Granger, until you tell me where!" She looked at him, a smug expression on her features and the infamous twinkle still present in her dark chocolate eyes. He sighed again and got up without another word, realizing defeat when it hit him (not often, obviously!). "Good boy," Granger said, chuckling to herself. He glared again, hoping to get the whole day just over with as soon as possible.

"Side-Along?" he asked. She nodded in response, taking his hand and turning on the spot; and just like that, Draco felt the familiar squeeze of Apparition whisking him away with her.

He almost fell when they came to a sudden stop in a dark alley he recognized as an Apparition point in Muggle London. "Here?" he asked skeptically, looking at the unsteady witch next to him with a hint of doubt in his arctic eyes.

"Not exactly…" she mumbled, beginning to walk out of the alley. "I have this friend who would like to meet you. His office is about two blocks away and this is the closest Apparition point…" Granger was now standing on the main street, turning to the right. "Are you coming, Malfoy?" He snapped out of his surprise and walked fast to keep up with her brisk pace.

"But… this is _Muggle_ London," he stated, trying not to brush against her hand while maneuvering through the crowd of Muggles. She glanced sideways at him, arching her eyebrow again.

"This is where he works. Besides, you let go of your prejudice, remember?"

"It doesn't mean I suddenly like _them_…" he mumbled, knowing that she had a point but unwilling to acknowledge it. After walking for another three minutes in mostly silence, she finally stopped in front of an unremarkable flat building just off the main street. She smirked at him, walking in. He followed, still dumbstruck by the complete ordinariness of the place.

"Over here, Malfoy," Granger called, peeking from the small space behind the stairs. He walked to her, seeing only the boring gray inner wall. It was his turn to raise his eyebrow in question but she ignored him, looking for something on the wall and finally calling a quiet "Aha!" and clicking a little nub on the wall. It disappeared immediately, revealing behind it a busy corridor. Wizards and witches ran back and forth, chatting to one another animatedly.

Granger passed the threshold and he followed close behind, doing his best not to lose her in the chaos. She walked straight to a closed oak door, knocking on it.

"Come in!" a deep voice called from inside. Granger opened the door, letting Draco in and then closing it behind them, drowning out the sounds from the corridor. "Ah! Miss Granger! Lovely to see you, my dear!" a plump and short man said from behind the dark wood table.

"I'm wonderful, Prof. Thompson…" Draco listened to them exchange pleasantries with half an ear, concentrating on his surroundings. The room had light-colored walls against which leaned three large bookcases. On the walls themselves, every available space seemed to be taken up with the man's credentials. Other then that, the room's contents consisted of a dark rug, the desk, and three comfortable-looking chairs.

"This is Draco Malfoy, Professor," Granger said finally, gaining Draco's attentions.

"Mr. Malfoy," the man said, shaking Draco's hand cheerfully. "Have a seat please!" They all sat down. "I must confess, when Miss Granger came to me and told me you might be interested in becoming a Healer, I was quite surprised." The silly man smiled at him then turned to Granger. Draco turned his glare towards the little vixen sitting next to him, both eyebrows raised now. She smiled sheepishly at him then dropped her gaze to her hands. "Anyway, I believe our world could use such a talented man such as yourself. Ms. Granger also told me you were taught a great deal by Severus Snape," Draco felt a small pain at being reminded of his dead mentor. "That is quite an achievement and St. Mungo's will be glad to sign you up for our Healer studies program here in the academy…"

The meeting lasted another three hours, during which Draco signed a lot of papers, answered many basic tests and took care of a few more bureaucratic steps. He was exhausted at the end of it, but oddly content, knowing he would soon be employed; and not just any job, but his dream job! But how did she know? He kept asking himself. Granger hadn't looked at him once since those first ten minutes, instead focusing almost solely on her hands sitting in her lap, like a scolded school girl. He had to admit he rather liked that look on her; it made her appear almost obedient.

Now they were standing outside Professor Thompson's office in the deserted corridor and still not talking. Finally, Draco got sick of the silence and blurted out the question in his head. "How did you know?"

She blushed and looked at the floor. "Umm… Ginny told me a few weeks ago… she said you told her once…"

"Err… Thanks…" he muttered, his eyes on the floor too, feeling his cheeks heat up. She giggled and he looked up to see her eyes full of humor. "What's so funny?" he asked, annoyed.

"I think that's the first time I have ever heard you say thank you to anyone who wasn't Molly!" and she giggled again. Draco allowed himself a small smile before getting his emotions under control. He was still a Malfoy after all, and Malfoys do not under any circumstances, show emotion… or some other rubbish like that.

"I'm starving," she suddenly said. "It's lunchtime. Let's go to Diagon Alley to celebrate your new job!"

"How can you be hungry after eating so much this morning?" he asked, actually curious.

She shrugged, walking next to him. "I guess knowing the Weasleys for so long has that effect on you." Now he laughed.

They ended up eating lunch outside at the ice-cream parlor, enjoying the unusually nice weather. "So what else do you have on your list for today, other then getting me a job?" he asked as he finished his third ice-cream cone.

"Just one more thing for today…" She suddenly seemed reluctant and not as confident. "I signed you up for rose duty…" She looked down at the top of the table, knowing she had done something wrong.

Two weeks after the war, they were all offered the chance to repeat their seventh year. They all returned and finished their NEWTs with Ginny's class in a four month crash course. Just before they began, a week after the war, as everyone was burying their dead; Granger came up with an idea for the memorial. She petitioned the Ministry of Magic for the field next to Hogsmeade where they had fought and won. Then she had everyone plant a rose for their lost loved ones. That way, she had said, they would forever be remembered for their life and growth instead of for their death. The flowers were magical and so would never die, and would always be at their full bloom. Each rose was a different color, taking on the essence of the man, woman or child it represented. They still needed taking care of, though, and Granger had devised a volunteer plan to tend to the flowers and the planters.

Draco had yet to be able to visit the place and bury his own losses. She had tried once or twice while they were still at Hogwarts but had quickly ceased, feeling that he would come to her when he wished to let go.

"Come on, Malfoy, it's time to move on and heal and you can't do that until you let them go. Severus, Remus and Tonks wouldn't want you to carry this… guilt... with you. And you know what?" She gave him a fierce look. "It's even time for you to let go of your father and bury him too." He stood up quickly, knocking his chair back.

"I am not doing it, and that is final! Now, if you don't mind," he said acidly, "I'll be off to the Manor to get royally drunk. Good day to you, Granger. Don't bother coming back tomorrow." And with that he Disapparated back to his house, away from the infuriatingly righteous girl.

000

Draco was sure she would come. He even had an entire speech written up in his head, to be delivered to her as she tried to drag him away from his liquor again today. But she didn't show up. Just like that.

"Damn Gryffindor," he cursed as the clock chimed twelve. He looked out of the window to the darkness, feeling it engulf him and he forced himself not to care that she hadn't appeared. He sighed into the full glass he hadn't drunk from since refilling it around eight, then put it down and got up to go to bed. The day had seemed to go on endlessly to him and he desperately hoped the rest of his dreadful week would move quicker. He had to go through just five more days before beginning his training the next Monday.

He was standing in his room, wearing his comfortable sleeping pants, looking out his large glass window. The view was spectacular. There was no moon in the sky and the stars stood out in sharp relief against the midnight black. It took him longer than usual to find his namesake constellation, as it seemed to be the most faded. He left the window and just before lying on his bed, shut the curtains, unwilling to watch what the stars were trying to tell him.

It felt like he had just fallen asleep when he was rudely awoken.

"Come on, Malfoy! Time to wake up!" Granger's voice called from above his head and he could hear the suppressed laugh in her words. He grunted, turning his head into one of his pillows, not even bothering to cover his naked upper half. He could feel her stare at him and he smirked into his pillow through the haze of sleep.

"Fine!" she fumed and he could hear her move away. She left the room, and he relaxed, trying to fall back asleep. Suddenly, a wave of freezing water hit his back. He scrambled up, trying to get as much of the water off, and falling on the floor in the process.

"You crazy witch!" he growled at the laughing girl, finding her right next to him on the ground, unable to breath from laughing so hard.

"You... water… fall…" and she burst into giggles again. He glared at her, annoyed. When he realized she wasn't going anywhere, he moved away from the bed and entered his bathroom, quickly changing from his now-wet pants to a pair of jeans (he had decided they were quite comfortable sometime after Ginny had dared him to wear an old pair of Fred's) and a dark shirt. He took care of the rest of his business then left the bathroom to find Granger in exactly the same place he had left her about five minutes before. At least she had stopped laughing; she was now looking around his bedroom curiously.

"Hmm…" she murmured, tilting her head and looking at the walls.

"What?" he asked bitterly, seating on the bed and tying his shoes.

"The walls… they're… light blue…"

"So?" He was now openly staring at her.

"I just… I guess I always thought your room would be green and silver…" she blushed, looking away from him. He shrugged, getting up and offering her a hand.

"You wanted to get going, didn't you?" he fumed. She stared at his extended hand for a couple of silent seconds before taking it and using him to stand up. They let go of each other as if burned as soon as she was on her feet. Nether acknowledged the current of electricity they had both felt. She shook her head as if to clear it then looked at him and nodded.

"Let's go!" and with that said, she took his hand in hers and Disapparated them away.

"Two things," Draco growled as he looked around and found himself once again in Muggle London. "Why are we here, again? And why here, as in _Muggle_ London?" All she gave him as an answer was a laugh as she walked through the busy street. He followed, unwilling to lose his guide even though he was mad at her. They've been walking for thirty minutes straight, and Draco was now not only annoyed, but also beginning to be tired. He put his foot down when they entered an alley with buildings, just off the main road.

"Will you stop with the silent treatment and tell me what in Merlin's name we're doing here?" he finally erupted at her. She stopped her brisk walk and turned to face him. She smiled at him and pointed to the building just before them.

"We," she said, grinning coyly, "are here to see about a flat for you."

"Wh… WHAT?" he stuttered, staring at her with shock.

"It's high time you left the Manor," she said, wrinkling her nose. "That place should have been destroyed months ago. Anyways, I talked to the owner of this building, who is a witch, by the way, and she happily agreed to let you see it and buy it. Apparently she has been trying to sell it for ages but as it can only go to a wizard or a witch and it costs quite a lot, she hasn't been very lucky. So…" and suddenly she looked unsure. "What do you say, Malfoy? Shall we take a look?"

"But what about the Ministry? What about getting approvals and all that?"

"I took care of it," she shrugged. "Let's go in?" He nodded at her, still shocked; with a new bounce in her step, she led him into the building.

"Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy!" a little woman said as she opened the door and let them in. "It is such a pleasure to meet you!" Draco passed the door, ignoring the two talking witches. He looked around, getting the feel of the place. It wasn't very big and there was only one bedroom but the kitchen was a comfortable size and the bathroom quite large.

"What do you think?" Granger asked as he walked out the bedroom. The owner was out of earshot.

"It's a bit small… isn't it…?" She laughed. "What?" he asked, frowning.

"Every house is going to look smaller then the Manor, Malfoy. You'll have to find a way to compromise eventually. You don't have to pick this one, or the next house or even the one after that, but just keep that in mind, alright? It'll make it so much easier."

"Fine…" he fumed, then realized something. "Wait, we're going to see _more_ flats today?" She laughed again, smiling at him; he ignored the little jump his heart made.

"Of course we are! You don't choose a flat after seeing only one. I've looked the places up and everything, too. I am not letting all my hard work go to waste!" She smirked at him, calling to the owner and telling her something or other about contacting her about the flat at some point this week and then they were back in the alley, walking away.

"How far away is the next one?" Draco asked, feeling a tiny flare of excitement light up inside of him.

"We can Apparate straight to the next flat, so we just need to find an empty alley," she told him, walking towards one. She stopped at the end of the alley, making sure they could not be seen before extending her hand to him. He took it without much thought, letting her lead the way, a small smile tugging stubbornly at his lips.

By the time lunch came around, they had seen only two other flats, and Granger had admitted to have talked to five other people. None of the houses had looked good enough to him yet, but he was really trying to commit to the idea of truly leaving the Manor. They ate a late lunch in Diagon Alley, finishing quickly and Apparating to their next destination. After seeing another three flats they finally found the _one_.

Granger kept insisting that they go see the final one, but as soon as Draco walked into the large penthouse flat with its exposed-brick walls, two large bedrooms, an office, an open kitchen, and the large glass window that took half a wall, he knew he was home. She tried to argue with him a bit more but finally grudgingly agreed that it was the most beautiful one, and the one best suiting Draco. The place had, she had called it, soul; and so, Draco signed with the now-previous owner on the spot, deciding in his mind to let the house-elves pack tonight.

They finally decided to leave Draco's beautiful new house at around ten, Apparating straight into the Manor. He quickly gave the elves their assignment, letting them do their job before making him and Granger something to eat for dinner.

He found her sitting in his father's study when he had finished making the food. Paperwork overflowed every free space on the dark wooden surface of the desk, some actually spilling out to the floor. He picked them up, putting them on the desk and placing their dinner on the short glass table by the couch.

"Come eat, Granger, we can take care of the bureaucratic stuff later," he told her, sitting down and waiting for her to join him, like a gentleman.

She sat down and, sighing from exhaustion, began shoving the food unceremoniously into her mouth. "Umm…" she said when she was halfway done. "This is really good, Malfoy." He looked away from her, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly.

"Are… are you blushing?" she asked and he could hear the suppressed giggle.

"Shut up, will you?" he mumbled, picking at his food in embarrassment. She was the first person, other then the house-elves, to taste his cooking. She laughed at him, but strangely enough, it didn't feel insulting to him; it felt just... _natural_.

She left quickly after dinner with a promise (or threat) to be back tomorrow. She also made him swear not to do anything before she was there. He agreed, though he couldn't see a reason why he had to swear on it; she would be at the Manor probably before he would be up, _uninvited_, he reminded her. She just looked at him slyly and reminded _him_ that his wards have yet to kick her out, so she was, in fact, invited in, by him no less. He had fumed at that but let it go, too exhausted from flat-hunting, as she had called it, to retaliate.

As soon as his head hit his pillow, he was asleep, a small but content smile on his lips.

It was morning and they were sitting in a sea of cardboard boxes, surrounded by Draco's five house-elves, while he signed whatever contract came his way. The little creatures were running around, taking things out of the boxes and putting them in their designated spots. They all knew this was their last task from their master; after the move was completed they would move along to his mother's care and she had promised them the same treatment. The only one that would stay with him was Episkey who was soul-bound to him, having been born on the same day as Draco. Over the years she had become a treasured friend.

By lunchtime, almost everything of worth to Draco had been put in place and he was walking around the house, rearranging things this way and that, others leaving as they were. Granger literally had to yank him away to eat and as soon as they finished he rushed away again to see what progress the elves had made during his half-hour break.

The only furniture she commented on was the grand piano he placed in the middle of the office-turned-library.

"You play?" she asked, surprised. He just shrugged in answer, arranging a few pictures on the wall.

They were officially done at five in the afternoon, grinning brightly at one another. Draco was so giddy he actually hugged Granger briefly, lifting her up and then putting her down awkwardly. All she did was laugh and walk away to call the house-elves down.

"Are you sure you don't want to come to dinner at the Weasleys?" she asked as the elves departed and he was left with his beautiful new flat.

"You know what?" he said, smiling to himself. "Why not?"

"Really?" she asked, beaming. He nodded, smiling. "I'm really glad you are! Oh! Merlin, look at the time! I have to get back home to get ready and make sure Ron is dressed." She smiled at him and he could see the love she felt for her boyfriend fill her eyes. A pang of jealousy coursed through him; he ignored it. He nodded. "I'll see you in the Burrow at six-thirty then." He nodded again, leading her to the door.

She was standing in the corridor outside, ready to go, when he said in a small, shy voice, "Thank you, Granger, for... err... everything you've done for me…" He turned away, unable to look at her.

"Sure thing, Malfoy." And then she was gone. Draco did not admit, even to himself, that the house felt just a bit less bright without her there. He got ready, wearing his most comfortable clothes; he knew dinner at the Burrow tended to lead to Quidditch or some other form of manual labor. At six twenty-nine, he Apparated to the Burrow.

000

"And THEN!" Fred shouted, reaching the climax of his story. "He tells me his in love with me, falls on the floor and STARTS SNORING!" Ginny, George and Charlie fell off their chairs, laughing so hard Draco could feel the deck they were sitting on actually shaking with them. It was well past eleven, dinner had finished ages ago, but the younger generation decided to settle in the Weasleys' back yard by the little pond at the edge of the property. Draco ignored the howling redheads behind him, looking over the water, suppressing a yawn.

"Getting sleepy?" Granger's voice came from his left, as she sat down next to him. He could hear the hint of amusement in his voice.

"Not at all," he mumbled, letting out a large yawn by accident. She stiffened a giggle, snorting slightly in the process. "You know that's extremely unattractive, right?" he told her sarcastically. She let out a few chuckles at that and Draco gave her a little half-smile.

"What's up?" Weasley asked, sitting next to Granger and putting his arm around her. She smiled at him, turning away from Draco.

"Malfoy's sleepy," she giggled, turning back to him and giving him a wide smile. Weasley just laughed and scooted closer to his girlfriend. It was making Draco slightly ill for some reason.

"Yeah, I am," he said, getting up. "And I think I'll be going. Thank you for dinner, tell Molly it was lovely." He walked away to a chorus of "Bye, Malfoy" and "Goodnight". Then suddenly he could feel someone running up to him.

"Hi, Draco!" Ginny's voice came from behind him. "Wait up!" he stopped, letting her catch up to him. "Listen, Mum's hosting a Halloween party next Saturday and she said to invite you. Want to come?" She smiled at him, actually looking hopeful that he would say yes.

He shrugged. "I'll think about it and let her know some time next week."

"I'll take that as a yes!" she smiled triumphantly, turning to go back, then she seemed to remember something and she turned back to him. "Oh, and 'Mione said to tell you she signed you up for rose duty every day next week. I'm glad to hear you're going, it really helped me."

He frowned. "I'm not going, Granger's just being pushy. Goodnight, Ginny."

"Night…" she mumbled, turning back. Before she could remember something else, Draco turned on the spot and Apparated away to his new home.

The weekend passed uneventfully. He spent both mornings doing some last minute moving from the Manor to the flat, making sure he left nothing that was valuable either to him or to his mother. On Saturday afternoon, Narcissa came over to see the flat and to talk to him, as they always did on Saturdays. He told her about his new job, smiling widely when she said she thought it was perfect for him.

"And how is that delightful Hermione Granger?" Narcissa suddenly asked, putting Draco off-balance.

"She's alright, I suppose… She… err… she's the one who's been… helping… me… this past week," he mumbled, unwilling to admit his dependence on someone else.

"What a positively darling girl!" his mother exclaimed, beaming at him. He glared at her, daring her to keep on talking. Narcissa didn't say another word, only smiled coyly at her son.

Sunday afternoon, he was a nervous wreck. He was actually starting a job! He couldn't believe it. He actually considered calling Granger over just to have something to do. Luckily, an owl came from his mother just as he was about to start the Floo call to Granger and Weasley's house. She sent him the thick black notebook he had kept while studying with Severus. He had recorded in there everything his godfather had taught him of healing; so he went over the entire notebook, refreshing his knowledge. Finally, at around nine, he retired to bed, a knot of nervousness and excitement settling in his stomach.

Draco woke up Monday morning extraordinarily refreshed. He took a quick shower, got dressed in comfortable robes and made himself a light breakfast of toast and coffee, asking Episkey to make him a fun sandwich for later in the day like she used to make him when he was younger. At ten, he had another half an hour until orientation began; he started pacing around his flat, the knot from the night before growing into a whole colony of butterflies - or perhaps moths, they were much more manly.

A small sound came from the window. He opened it to let Granger's owl in, taking the note it carried and petting it absentmindedly as he read the short parchment.

'_Good luck today, Malfoy. _

_You'll do great! _

_See you later this afternoon for rose duty!….? _

_Hermione.'_

Draco actually laughed, shaking his head. The woman was so stubborn! Then suddenly it was time for him to go and start the beginning of the rest of his life. He couldn't wait!

000

It was finally Friday afternoon. Draco crashed on his couch, exhausted from the week of hard studying. Who knew learning to be a Healer was so hard? His job at the moment was to assist the certified Healers like a common Muggle nurse. It was quite degrading, really, but he sucked it up, knowing that if he kept it up he would one day, in about four or five months, be a certified Healer too! He felt like a child again; truly excited about a dream coming true!

A persistent knock on the door, shook him out of his giddy daydreams. He got up heavily and opened the door, not surprised to see the brains of the Golden Trio standing there, looking very pissed off at him.

"Really? Ditching me without volunteers for a week?" she cried out, sounding more exhausted then mad. She stormed in, going straight to the kitchen and pouring herself a glass of Firewhisky, sipping it as she made her way to the couch he had just occupied. Draco sat down on the chair opposite her, looking at her quizzically. "Do you have _any_ idea how shorthanded we were this week? I was seriously counting on you!" She looked down, looking completely sleep deprived. "I needed help, Malfoy…" she murmured quietly, her tone of disappointment hurting him deeply; and then he was mad at her. He got up and stood before the couch, towering over her.

"I told you, upfront, that I wasn't going to do it! And you still thought I was? I was quite clear, wasn't I?" he shouted.

She got up too, pushing him slightly back. "I wasn't asking you for your benefit! I was asking because I NEEDED YOU!" she collapsed back into the couch, tears streaming down her face.

Draco awkwardly sat down next to her. "What's really going on?" he asked.

She sniffed and looked down, wiping away her tears. "Ron and I got into an argument," she mumbled, "and then he was supposed to be on rose duty all this week along with a bunch of other Aurors, but they all had this convention so I was stuck with no volunteers for the whole week so I've been working double and triple shifts in the gardens to help the shortage…" she started crying now in earnest, burying her face in her hands. He was shocked into silence, the only time he had seen her this way was when Potter and Weasley had left her at HQ, after that she had turned into a determined fighting machine. He had almost started believing she wasn't entirely human, but she obviously was.

"I'm sorry, Granger," he mumbled clumsily. "I didn't know…"

"I'm just… so tired," she whispered.

"Then go to sleep. You can sleep in the guest room, since I don't think you should Apparate when you're like this," he offered, getting up and helping her stand too, leading her to the guest bedroom. "And when you wake up… I'll come with you on rose duty, alright?"

She mumbled a small but grateful, "Thank you," taking the clothes he offered her to use as pj's and walking in, closing the door behind her.

Draco sat back on the couch, finishing Granger's untouched glass in one go. He was really going to go to the rose gardens, and he just knew she wouldn't let him leave until he paid his respects to the people he had lost during the war. He wasn't sure he was ready yet for that.

Two hours later, the guest room door cracked open and a disheveled Granger walked out, already dressed in her clothes; at least she looked slightly more awake and relaxed.

Draco stood in the kitchen, beckoning her over then turning back to the pot of spaghetti he was making.

"You know I still find it shocking that you know how to cook?" she told him, sitting down on one of the bar stools around the marble island. He snorted, extinguishing the flame underneath the pot and putting some of its contents in a bowl for her. He had made it with mushroom sauce, his favorite. "Wow! Malfoy!" she exclaimed as she took her first bite. "This is amazing! Even by your standards!" He gave her a little bow, taking a bite too and humming in approval at the wonderful taste. "So… did you mean it?"

"Hmm?"

"When you said you'll go on rose duty with me today… did you mean it?" she asked quietly, probably afraid to anger him again. He nodded and shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. She smiled brightly at him, going back to her food.

"You ready for this?" Granger asked him again as they stood just a few feet from the field. He nodded, swallowing past the frog in his throat. She walked past him and pushed open the little gate, stepping through. He followed silently, nervous. Immediately, the scent of thousands of roses hit his senses. He breathed in again, intoxicated by the aroma. The roses were of every color in the world, each with a different pattern and of a different size. It was truly beautiful. She led him to a small empty patch at the far end of the field and gave him four seeds.

"Each one is for one of the people you lost that night," she explained in a quiet, calming voice.

"But I only lost three… Tonks, Remus, and," he swallowed, "Severus."

She put her palm on his arm, her warmth reaching his heart. "You also lost your father. It's time to let him go too." He nodded, holding the seeds tightly. She helped him bend down on his knees and dig a hole the right size.

"Nymphadora Lupin-Tonks," he murmured as he laid the seed gently and put earth on it.

He dug another hole right next to the first.

"Remus Lupin," he said quietly, his eyes prickling as he covered the second seed with a blanket of soil.

"Severus Snape," he mumbled, tears streaming down his face freely as he buried his surrogate father.

Finally he came to the end of the little row. Granger dug the hole for him as his hands were shaking too hard. She took his hand, still clutching the last seed, in hers and helped him lay it in the ground. Together, they covered it as he said the words that would make it his father's memorial. "Lucius Malfoy." He began sobbing in earnest now, crying on Granger's shoulder. She didn't seem to mind, rocking him gently while holding him to her. When the tears had all gone away he let go of her, looking at the four patches of disturbed earth.

He heard Granger take out her wand and cast a complicated spell on the heaps, and then she turned to him. "Each flower takes a shape, color and size that represent the relationship of the buried and the burier," she told him in her soothing, professional voice. "It takes the essence of it and shows it to you. They will reach full bloom in about five minutes." She stayed quiet as they waited, once removing her hand from his, but he quickly took it back, needing to hold on to something real, alive. After that she had left it there, waiting, waiting, waiting. Finally, the earth seemed to shrug off a little and suddenly, where before there was nothing, there now stood four roses in full bloom.

Tonks's was just a bud, baby pink, familiar and welcoming. It looked on the verge of opening and Draco let a few tears fall for the relationship that would never open fully, would never grow.

Remus's was a light blue and half open, seeming to engulf Draco with its homey scent. He had come to associate the Lupins as his family, and he still regarded Teddy as such, but he would never be able to do the same for the toddler's parents.

Severus's dark magenta rose was in full bloom, wide open as if holding Draco in its stance. "I don't know why, but magenta symbolizes paternity," Granger murmured quietly when she saw where he was looking. He nodded, staring at the beautiful flower, letting the tears fall without trying to wipe them away.

Finally, he looked at his father's rose. It's color was the darkest, deepest black Draco had ever seen, he felt like he was going blind as he looked at it, but just as he was about to avert his gaze, the petals opened showing a tiny ruby red core. "Red is love?" he asked in a choked whisper, not looking at his companion.

"Yes," she answered simply, squeezing his hand in comfort. They stayed there for a long time, him looking at the flowers and her not saying a word, just holding his hand; he didn't know how long but the sun had long ago vanished in the horizon, letting night slowly embrace them. The moon was starting its long climb along the sky when she tugged on his numb palm and helped him up. It wasn't just his hand that was numb, he realized after a while, his entire body felt empty and yet truly there for the first time since the war had ended. He felt whole again. His silent companion led him to his flat, then his bedroom and then tucked him into bed as if he was a child again.

Just before leaving him she said in a quiet voice, "Good night, Draco, I'll see you tomorrow." With his name on her lips, on her voice, he fell asleep.

000

It was almost noon when Draco's fire turned green and Ginny's head popped into existence in his living room.

"Hi Draco," she said, smiling brightly. He nodded in acknowledgement, waiting for her to reveal the reason for her visit. "I just came to make sure you remembered the party tonight." He nodded again. "Good! So we'll see you at the Burrow at seven! And don't forget to dress nice!"

He scowled at her. "I always dress nice!"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh! I have to go! Andy is bringing Teddy over." Draco looked at her longingly, wanting to see his cousin. She laughed at his expression. "You'll see him tonight, Andy and your mother are bringing him with them." He pouted. "You are such a spoiled brat sometimes, I have no idea how Hermione handles you!" And then she was gone. Draco had to agree with her though, he had no idea why Granger was helping him so much, but he was determined to find out!

And so, at one minute to seven, Draco stood in his best casual (yet elegant) clothes on the front step of the Burrow, knocking on the door. The door opened to reveal the sitting room, filled with an assortment of Potters, Weasleys, Blacks and other people Molly Weasley had adopted as children over the years, like Granger, Neville Longbottom and his date Luna Lovegood, and others. He waved a friendly hello to the last two. It really surprised him how much he now saw Neville and Luna as his friends. The war really did change things. They waved back, signaling to him that they'll see him later on to catch up on things. He nodded but drifted on, letting them return to their easy conversation.

He walked farther in, spotting Fred, George, Angelina and Katie right away by the drinks table, both women wearing large clothes as they had already started showing their pregnancies. Next he waved hello to Bill, Fleur, and Charlie who were standing close by, talking about the dragon tamer's latest adventure. Soon, thought, he found himself drifting off towards the Potters who were standing with Narcissa and Andromeda, Teddy Lupin held firmly by his godfather.

"Drake!" was the first thing the young blond heard when he got near his family, and then the little toddler jumped into his outstretched hands, holding on to his cousin. "I missed you," the boy told him, unabashed. Draco just hugged him harder, happily taking the love the boy was giving. Finally, they let go of each other, and Draco let him down, still holding his little hand.

"It's lovely to see you, dear," his aunt said, kissing his cheeks lightly, a warm smile lighting up her face. Next to her, Draco's mother nodded.

"You look lovely, Draco," she told him, and from behind her Ginny gave him a thumbs up.

"Aunty 'Mione was looking for you," Teddy suddenly told him, tugging at his hand and looking at his cousin eagerly. "She went outside." Draco smiled at him, thanked him with another small hug and gave his hand back to Potter.

"I'll see you guys later," he murmured, walking to the back yard. He was stopped a few times for a quick 'hello' and 'how are you', but soon he stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air.

"Hi," Granger said, appearing out of the shadows. Draco's breath caught in his throat. She was breathtaking; her dress was a strapless piece made of some kind of beautiful light green fabric, it practically glowed in the little light that hit it, making her skin look like cream and roses. To her midsection, a black bow with white polka dots was tied, making her waist even more defined. Around her neck was a simple silver necklace and she wore a classic pair of black heels that made her legs seem longer and thinner. Her hair was made up in a simple do on her head and her face held the faintest hints of makeup. She looked absolutely beautiful.

"You look… wow," he mumbled, his mind leaving on what seemed like a permanent hiatus.

She blushed, laughing lightly. "You don't look so bad yourself," she answered, looking him up and down. He blushed, hoping she couldn't see.

"Err… thanks… so.. err…" He cleared his throat and tried to keep his eyes on her face, failing miserably. "I was told you were looking for me…?"

She nodded, leaning on the back of a bench he hadn't even noticed. "I was just wondering how you were, after yesterday…"

"I'm… I feel better…" He looked down. "It's good to know that despite everything, I loved him and he loved me back," he said quietly, referring to his father. "You were right," he admitted finally. "It was time to let them go, all four of them." Only then did he look up at her to see her smiling brightly at him, a smile that made him catch his breath all over again. "Don't let it go to your head, though," he muttered. She laughed and got up, squeezing his hand briefly on her way back in.

"Granger?" he suddenly called and she turned away from him.

"What is it?" she asked, stopping in her tracks.

"Why did they invite me?" he asked, pointing towards the Burrow.

"They like you," she answered simply. He looked at her skeptically. "And I asked them too."

"Why?"

"Because I think everyone should be with someone during the holidays, even if it is just Halloween."

"No, why?" he asked, his voice rising in frustration at not understanding. "Why would you do all that for me? Why would you help me find a job? And a flat?" _And helped me let go of the people I've lost_, he added in his mind. "You could have just as easily left me to drown myself in Firewhisky; Merlin knows I wanted to."

That twinkle appeared in her eyes and she smiled at him. "We're friends, Draco. That's what friends are for." With another smile she walked back into the loud party inside, leaving Draco shocked by her words.

_Friends…_ he thought as he watched her go. He could get used to that….

000

_All you can do is try to know  
>Who your friends are…<em>


	3. Picking Stars

b**A/N:**/b Just a small note. I am aware that there's quite a jump here in how Draco sees Hermione. For the record, his first conscious attraction to her was at Halloween; considering this chapter starts with New Year, they've been friends for quite some time, and so Draco has had time to become more aware of his attraction.

Also a slight b**warning**/b: this chapter contains slight sexual innuendos and a bit more. I promise not to go in to the gory details though so it should be fine as long as you're older than 13.

Enjoy.

000

bu**Chapter 3:****Picking Stars:**/u/b

IPick a star on the dark horizon  
>And follow the lightI

b**Ministry of Magic, New Year's Party**

**Thursday, December 31, 1998 – Friday, January 1, 1999**/b

Draco watched the Potters dance closely, followed by Weasley and Granger in the customary midnight dance and he felt a pang of jealousy in the pit of his stomach. It had nothing to do with Granger, he told himself; he just wanted what they had, a happy relationship, someone to come home to; and he wanted it badly. And so he proceeded to do the only thing he could to rid himself of the small emptiness in his heart, he got royally drunk.

i_"Weasel-bee! Potter stinks! Ginny laid an egg!"_/i he sang at the top of his lungs to the tune of "Jingle Bells" about an hour later, swallowing another shot of Firewhisky. Granger was sitting next to him, snorting while still managing to look concerned. "Loosen up, Bookworm, or I'll add you to the song too!" He passed her a shot, daring her with a pointed look to take the drink. With an extremely sexy eyebrow tilt, she lifted the little glass and downed it in a second. Draco clapped, looking at her with awe and surprise.

"Hermione! There you are!" Weasley said, suddenly appearing beside the petite brunette, breathless from the massive dancing he had just done with the Potters. The couple in question soon followed, flopping into the available seats. Two chairs were left empty for Neville and Luna who were still boogieing on the dance floor. Draco absentmindedly noted again that he was the only one who hadn't brought a date. Granger had been harping on him about it ever since Christmas Eve at the Burrow when he had told her he was not going to bring anyone. He couldn't possibly tell her his heart was unwilling to find anyone even remotely attractive ever since… NO! He refused to even think about it!

"Draco," her voice cut through his thoughts. "Sing them your song!" she said, suppressing a laugh. He grinned mischievously at her before bursting into song once again. They spent the next hour coming up with more verses for the song, each one getting more and more ridiculous. At some point even Neville and his airhead girlfriend, Luna, joined them, making up some truly dirty and disturbing lyrics. Who knew the formally pinkish boy could have such a dirty mind, no wonder he and Draco had got along so swimmingly after the war.

Draco leaned on Granger both participating in a round of 'Odo the Hero' when the chimes sounded, telling everyone it was long past midnight and it was time to skedaddle out of the Ministry. Draco got to his feet and immediately proceeded to fall down on the floor, laughing hard. Granger and Weasley stood up too, her laughing at Draco and him scowling at the blonde man's inebriated state. Granger, looking to him like an angel in her pure white dress with the blue sash and the little yellow flower on the side, offered him her hand, still giggling under her breath. He took it without much thought, her warmth immediately racing through his system and hitting his heart painfully. He got up with her help, standing on his wobbly legs. It got so bad he almost fell down again, but his angel quickly circled her hand around his waist, holding him up. He grinned sheepishly at her, then at the dark expression that her boyfriend was giving him.

"I'm taking him home," she told the rest of the group. Weasley looked at her disapprovingly. "Oh, don't you give me that look, Ronald. He is my friend, and your friend too, at that, and we need to take care of him, especially when he's like this."

Draco tried to object to her accusation of his incapability to take care of himself, but instead found himself leaning forward too far, almost falling flat on his face. Granger tightened her grip on him, holding him more firmly and looked pointedly at Weasley.

"Good night everyone," she murmured. "I'll see you at home, Ron." And with that she dragged Draco away from their friends. He threw a look at them over her head and waved happily, saying a hearty "G'night!"

They walked out of the extensively decorated hall and she apparated them to his apartment. He stumbled slightly as they stopped in front of his couch. She led him gently to his room, still holding him around his waist, and he absentmindedly put his arm around her slim shoulders, enjoying the perfect feel of her body against his. She didn't seem to mind much, leaning in to his embrace. They entered his bedroom and she untangled herself from his body, helping him take off his shoes and socks, looking pointedly at his chest.

"Take… take off your shirt," she murmured, looking anywhere but his face as a pretty blush crept up her already pink cheeks.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered, laughing huskily as her blush moved farther down to her neck and chest. "You look beautiful tonight, by the way," he murmured as he undid his buttons slowly.

"Thank you," she mumbled, her eyes moving to the carpet. "It's nice to hear."

"Weasley didn't tell you?" Draco asked, extremely surprised; she looked exceptionally beautiful tonight and he couldn't think how everyone had not told her so. She shook her head, not saying another word as he took off his shirt and started undoing his belt buckle. She looked up just before he took his pants off; her eyes grew large as she took in his toned body and, becoming bright red, turned her back to him. He chuckled and she seemed to shiver slightly.

"You can turn around now," he told her as he fastened the cord of his light gray sleep pants, forgoing the shirt even though it was cold outside. iThank Merlin for warmth charms/i. She turned slowly, still staring at the floor.

"I… I should go," she mumbled.

"You probably should," he agreed, his mind beginning to calm down slightly. "Good night, Granger. Happy New Year." He got into bed, knowing she would let herself out.

"Good night, Draco. Happy New Year." And then she was gone, her voice still trailing behind her like it always seemed to do to Draco, hunting his dreams. With a small smile on his lips, he fell asleep to illegal dreams of him and his brown haired angel.

000

Draco woke up Friday afternoon with a roaring headache and a very flimsy memory. He felt as if an army of Goblins had taken residence inside his skull and had decided to demolish their new home with everything they had. He cursed under his breath as he stumbled into his bathroom, his eyes shut tight and his hand holding his forehead in place. He scrambled to the sink and looked in the cabinet above it, searching for some sobering potion. He found it quickly but it took him about three minutes to uncork the uncooperative bottle. Finally he took a sip, already feeling better. The rest of his day (about four hours or so) was spent in his library, reading an article for work. It took him ages to finish, as he couldn't seem to be able to concentrate on the piece of medical research. His mind kept drifting to last night and the way Granger's dress had seemed to hug her subtle curves as she swayed to the music. Finally, he retired to bed, his body still exhausted even if his mind wasn't.

Saturday seemed to pass much the same way by playing a game of hide and seek with his concentration. Once again, for probably the fourth time in his life, Draco went to sleep early.

He was awakened by a loud thud on his window. Cursing whatever it was that had disturbed his beautiful dream, Draco got up and, pushing the curtains away, let the little owl in. It took him a minute to realize it was Granger's barn owl, Feathers (for a self-proclaimed bookworm she really had no imagination when it came to her pets' names; she had once told him she used to have a fish named "Bubbles"). He took the note she offered quickly.

I_'Draco,_

_I need help. It's quite urgent. _

_Hermione.'_/I

Fearing the worst, Draco dropped the parchment carelessly to the floor, grabbing his clothes without really looking at them. He ended up with a pair of dark, faded jeans, a long-sleeved gray shirt he usually used for workouts, a Molly-Weasley-hand-made jumper in green and silver with a black dragon roaring on the front, a red scarf and a blue hat. Pulling his long coat on, he ran out his bedroom door, disapparating to the closest apparition point to her apartment.

He found her on the pavement at the entrance to her apartment building, surrounded by a sea of cardboard boxes. She was swearing under her breath, her hair a mile around her head, and her eyes shining widely with anger. He approached with caution.

"Granger?" he asked tentatively, not wanting to anger her further.

She stood up when she saw him, moving to him quickly, her face looking relieved. "Oh, Draco, thank Merlin!" Her eyes shown brighter, steeling her resolve. "You don't have a conscience, right?" She asked, a fire blazing in her irises, promising retribution to whomever had angered her.

"Sorry to disappoint, Granger," he said sarcastically. "But you and the rest of your nosey little gang took it upon yourselves that I would, in fact, have a conscience." She scowled at him. "Now, what happened?" he asked, setting her back down and sitting next to her, their bent knees touching.

"I broke up with Ron," she said in a rush, as if needing to hear the words to truly believe them. Draco stared at her in shock. "I don't want to talk about it," she quickly said then continued, looking at her hands. "Anyway, then that right bastard kicked me out! I suppose I deserve it, but still! And now I don't have a house and I'm stuck!" She shut up, realizing she was rambling.

"Just move in with the Weasleys," he offered, shrugging. "Merlin knows Molly has been begging you for long enough."

"I can't! Now that Charlie's back and Percy, Audrey and the girls are staying there, there's no room. Besides, I can't exactly move in with Ron's family after I broke up with him," she stated, looking at Draco as if he was daft.

"So, move in with Potter and Ginny?" he suggested.

"Are you ever going to call Harry by his name?" she asked. He shook his head, grinning at her McGonagall-like expression. "And to answer your question, there is no way I am moving in with the newlyweds!" She snorted, looking extremely bitter and Draco was running out of sane, healthy ideas. Because he did have an idea, a potentially dangerous idea for his mental health; and yet the idea was so perfect and Draco's dark, ugly, egocentric side, who sounded strangely like Fred and George, was whispering in his ears an opportunity no Slytherin could forgo.

He looked down at the ground as he told her his idea. "Why… don't you move in with…" he swallowed, "me?" His eyes stayed on the road as he started rambling. "My flat, as you very well know, is big enough for the both of us, and the guest room has its own bathroom so no awkward moments…" I_oh, how he longed for those awkward moments._i/ "The only bad part is my mother's insistence to visit once a week for lunch but she adores you so I doubt that would be a problem… so…" He looked up, seeing her shocked, blank expression for the first time. "What do you say? Roommates?" Her face morphed into a dazzling smile and she flung her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Draco! You are an absolute lifesaver!"

He sat there, in complete shock, before his mind turned back on and he circled her thin waist with his large arms and inhaled her intoxicating aroma. He was shocked to find how very right having her in his arms felt.

All too soon, though, she let him go. She smiled sheepishly up at him, playing with the hem of her shirt.

He gave her a crooked smile back. "That's what friends are for, Granger, isn't that right?" She nodded then frowned at him.

"One condition, though…"

"I'm doing you a favor and you're setting up conditions?" he asked, chuckling and smiling at her to tell her he meant it as a joke. She laughed right along with him and, to his ears, it sounded perfect.

"I'm serious about this," she told him. He shut up and waited. "If I'm moving in with you, you need to start calling me Hermione." She looked away from him, waiting for his answer.

"Hermione…" he tried it out, liking the way it rolled off his tongue, he was again overcome with a weird sense of i_right_/i. She looked up at him, her eyes smoldering with strange emotions. Draco shuffled his feet, getting up. "Alright, Hermione…" she beamed up at him, taking the hand he was offering her and using it to get up and stand in front of him. "Let's take your things home," and for the first time, it truly felt like home.

000

The weeks passed by, and Draco and Hermione fell into a routine. She still wouldn't talk about why exactly she had broken up with Weasley, but Draco wasn't pressing, knowing that at some point she would tell him on her own. She still went to the Burrow every Friday night for dinner, a thing she had made Draco join in doing, and she and her ex-boyfriend seemed to get along quite well, although the red-head did shoot Draco with odd looks every once in a while.

Every morning, she would wake up around six am, taking a quick shower and getting dressed for her day. At seven, she would start playing music in the apartment, waking him up that way. He would then blindly make his way to the bathroom, take a barely awake shower, brush his teeth and then proceed to get dressed in a haze; he was not a morning person.

He would come out at around seven-thirty, following his nose to the kitchen where usually she would be in the middle of making breakfast. He would sit down, a hot cup of coffee already waiting for him on the table next to the newspaper and he would wait for her to finish, listening to her sing to the light music.

She would make fried eggs, or toast, or pancakes on Saturday and they would sit down and eat. Sometimes they'd talk, sometimes she would read to him from the paper and sometimes she would read to herself, not looking up until they both finished. Episkey would come in then and clean up what ever there was to clean. The little elf and Hermione had taken quite a liking to each other, something that really helped Hermione with her work on Elfin Rights, a thing she was still quite passionate about.

Then they would both leave for work, him at the hospital, where he was now considered the must talented and most liked intern, outdoing his friend and competition, Blaise Zabini, and her to her job at the Ministry as a Magical Law Enforcer, where she was slowly making her way up to Legislation.

She would get back home at around six. He would arrive two hours later and she would already be making dinner after taking a shower. They would sit down together and just talk. Most days he would rant about one thing or another the Healers made him do and she would laugh and say that she knew he was going to do the same to the interns when he was a Healer, a thing that made him nod enthusiastically.

On days he was home early, she would make him drag himself to the kitchen and help her cook dinner. Of course, he knew how to cook and was quite good, but Hermione was amazing, and he never missed a chance to be her eager pupil.

She had also upgraded his library, adding her muggle literature along with the many magical books she had obtained in the past eight years. She also made him read some of them, including Shakespeare and Dickens. To her obvious amusement he had taken quite a liking to Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl; he enjoyed the absurdness their worlds had and the lack of caring they seemed to hold for what was considered normal. His favorite book so far was uMatilda/u; she reminded him of Hermione in a way, but he would never admit such a thing, especially not to her, and so he had to sneak the book every time to devour it quickly before she found out. Every time he finished a book, they would sit around after dinner and discuses why he did or didn't like it and what he thought of the characters. Soon, their talks became deeper and they would share things from the past, both from their time at Hogwarts and before. It was amazing to see how different their worlds were, and yet they made it work, even if they did still fight all the time, it lacked the venom it used to have. They were friends.

The first two months of her stay went like this, and they both seemed to enjoy it. But Draco should have known that something would disturb the peace he had started to feel. It happened two and a half weeks after Valentine's Day, for which neither had had a date, so they had decided to just stay home that night and watch a hilarious movie on the telly Hermione had brought with her when she moved in.

It was March 3rd when Draco finished work much earlier than usual after a surprisingly grueling day, returning about ten minutes after her. He called out to the seemingly empty house, hearing no answer, but seeing her coat lying on the sofa and her bag dropped on the floor. He could hear the faint noise of water running from her room. He sighed and walked to the kitchen, making himself a late lunch as he had missed his own while taking care of some poor sap who had managed to cut his finger with a spoon.

He was putting his pasta on a plate, whistling to himself the song Hermione had played that morning, when I_she_/I walked in to the kitchen, dripping wet, wearing only a small, perfectly white towel and holding a bat over her shoulder with one hand.

"Oh! Draco! Thank Merlin!" she exclaimed, putting down the bat. "I thought you were a burglar! What are you doing here so early?" she asked.

Draco looked at her, his jaw falling open as all the blood sprinted away from his brain. She gave him a baffled look before looking down at herself and realizing what she wore. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in a little 'O' before she ran to her room and slammed the door behind her with a loud 'Bang!' leaving Draco standing in the middle of the kitchen, his lunch long forgotten.

000

It was three days after the towel fiasco that Draco finally saw Hermione again. She was timidly making her way from her room to the kitchen and he just happened to be sitting on the sofa.

"Hi," he said quietly as she walked past him. She stopped dead in her tracks, staring at him with wide, embarrassed eyes. She blushed and quickly looked to the floor.

"Hi," she mumbled, still not looking at him. "Err… can we… just forget about It?" she asked, an edge of desperate begging seeping in to her voice. "iPlease?/i"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said nonchalantly, smirking at her. Her expression turned from desperation to confusion and then finally into a beaming smile. Draco's breath caught in his throat for some unknown reason.

"Thank you!" She awkwardly looked at her feet, shuffling them, then quickly walked to the kitchen. After a minute or so of bustling around in there she called out, angrily, "Malfoy! You are I_DEAD_/I! You finished all my chocolate snacks!"

Draco smirked to himself; all was back to normal.

000

"Makes me absolutely barny at times!" Draco ranted, pacing in front of the couch Blaise currently occupied. "Insufferable know-it-all! And she's a neat freak too! Well… not as bad as my mother, but still! Merlin, she aggravates me! And then she has the I_nerve_/I to prance around the apartment in her skimpy little p.j.s!" he kept grumbling to his friend, still digging a hole through the floor. Not a week had passed since the towel fiasco, as he enjoyed calling it, and they had fought, again. Of course, they always fought; they wouldn't be them if they didn't, but this time she had gone too far! To dare wash his precious, innocent white shirt with her evil pink underwear!

And what did his oh-so-wonderful friend do at Draco's clear and justified problems? He I_laughed_/I! Blaise Zabini was currently shaking with humor at his best friend's predicament.

"Dude!" the dark-skinned former Slytherin called, using the oh-so-aggravating nickname he had picked up while visiting America. "Stop it! I can't breathe!" he wheezed in between roars of laughter.

Draco just frowned at him, stopping mid-step. It took another couple of minutes for Blaise to calm down and when he finally sobered up, he gave Draco an extremely conceited look of understanding.

"So you like her, Drake, it's not the end of the world, you know."

"I… you… no… WHAT?" Draco spluttered, shocked by his friend's accusation. "I do I_not fancy_/I Hermione freaking Granger!" Now, if only the nagging voice in his head would just stop calling him a liar.

Blaise just grinned that infuriating grin of his. "It's okay, Draco. I mean, she is quite smart, and funny, and cute," Draco started uncontrollably coughing, "and pretty, too, don't you agree?"

Draco mumbled under his breath, his eyes glued to the floor.

"You know what, Drake, if you're not interested in her in any way, you wouldn't mind if I ask her out, would you?" Draco looked up at his friend.

"Of… Of course not!"

"Great!" Blaise exclaimed, pouring himself another glass of Firewhisky. "I'll ask her tomorrow! I'm on rose duty…" he said, more to himself then the angered blonde on the sofa. The dark Italian got up and walked off to get something, leaving Draco to his thought.

He really didn't have any right to be mad at Blaise, he though, iit's not like I like Hermione!/i He was just feeling protective of her, like a good friend would, he told himself, trying hard to believe it. She was just his good friend and he didn't want her to get hurt. iThat's it!/i But as much as he tried to justify his reactions and feelings, the nagging feeling that he was lying to himself kept creeping up for the next couple of days, especially when Hermione came to him about it the day after his talk with Blaise.

"Draco!" she called as she got home, later then him, for the first time. "You wouldn't believe what happened to me today on rose duty!" She burst in to the kitchen with her hair covering half her face and shooting high above her head; it was obvious she had just got back from the windy rose gardens. "A group of Healer trainees came today- why weren't you there, by the way?" she asked, looking at him over the bowl of salad he was in the process of cutting.

"My shift's tomorrow," he muttered, slicing the tomatoes into small pieces.

"Oh… well, anyway, Blaise was there, we really should invite him here more often, he is your friend after all and he's so nice I really don't get why you whine about him so much…"

"Will you get to the point,iplease/i?" Draco grumbled, chopping the red vegetables.

Hermione mumbled a quiet "Sorry," before plucking a piece of cucumber from the bowl then continuing to tell her tale. "So we were working next to each other, and just talking when he asked me out on a date this Saturday!" She beamed up at him but he ignored her, ripping the tomato pieces even farther, the red juice dripping off the knife. "And I just wanted to ask if it was alright with you. I mean," and now she was looking at the floor, her cheeks red, "he's one of your best friends and I didn't want to go through with it unless I got your permission. I know it's only one date, and after Ron I'm not sure I'm ready for a relationship just yet, but it might be a good idea to go out a bit- get back in the game, I suppose… and Blaise is such a nice guy…" she was rambling now, and didn't seem able to stop so Draco cut in, just wanting her to istop talking/i about her future life as Mrs. Blaise freaking Zabini.

"Why," chop, "would," hack, "I," slice, "care? OWWWWWEEEE!" Draco screamed, clutching his cut finger, the knife falling unceremoniously to the floor as Hermione rushed to him.

"Draco! Merlin! Look what you've done to yourself!" She muttered, as she led him to the sink, turning the water on and letting it wash away the blood.

"My finger! My perfect finger! This is all your fault, Granger!" he whined.

"And how exactly is it imy/i fault, iMalfoy/i?" she asked, turning the water off and taking a better look at the small cut. Draco just pouted, suppressing the urge to whine some more as Hermione put a band-aid on his finger. "It has freaking unicorns on it, Granger," he stated, staring at the band-aid with distaste.

"You are such a spoiled little brat, Draco, no wonder your mother always complains about you!" Hermione chuckled, leaning over to pick up the knife.

"I am inot/i a spoiled brat!" he pouted. "And I'm sure as hell not ilittle/i!"

She laughed, putting the knife down. "Are too!" she called, leaning back on the counter.

"Am not!" he retorted, boxing her in with his hands on both sides of her.

"Are too!" she giggled.

"Am not! And that is final!" he told her in a sing-song voice, and then preceded to tickle her until she was leaning fully on him, her hands on his chest and her head on his shoulder as she tried to catch her breath. A hint of her shampoo assaulted Draco's nose and he leaned slightly closer, trying to get more of the intoxicating scent.

"Alright! Alright!" she finally called, wheezing out and pushing him back a little to his secret disappointment. "I give up! You are in no way, ilittle/i!"

He moved back, crossed his arms and smirked at her. "That's right, and you better remember that," he told her, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. She burst into another fit of giggles, her hands circled around her stomach and tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks.

"So," she said when she caught her breath again, "how inot/i little are you exactly?" she asked coyly, her cheeks turning red even as she stared at him unflinchingly.

"Why, Granger, I didn't know you had that in you!" Draco exclaimed, impressed by her words.

"Hermione," she corrected, her smile turning shy.

"Hermione," he agreed, smiling at her, his hurt finger long forgotten; that is, until she looked at his finger and gave a stifled snort. "UNICORN!" and she was back to clutching her stomach, light, warm laughter ringing out from her. So Draco did the only thing he could, he laughed with her.

000

"Are you sure this is okay with you, Draco?" Hermione asked for the hundredth time on Saturday as she got ready for her date with Blaise.

Draco stifled a moan, keeping his eyes on the same line he'd been trying to take in for the past five minutes.

"Yes, Hermione, I am sure!" he called back to her. Before she could ask him again, the doorbell rang.

"That must be Blaise! Could you get that?" she asked from behind the closed door of her room.

Draco sighed heavily but got up and walked to the front door, opening it and letting Blaise in.

"Hi mate," the dark Italian greeted, smiling widely. Draco gave him a small grunt in return, sitting back on the couch and trying to read that blasted line again. "Where's Hermione?" Blaise asked, sitting opposite Draco, the picture of nonchalance. The blonde pointed to her bedroom door. Blaise nodded, smirking at Draco.

"What do you want from me?" iTraitor/i, he added in his head for a reason he was unwilling to face yet. Instead of answering, the Italian's grin just grew wider. Before Draco could inquire farther, though, a crack sounded, signaling Hermione's appearance. Blaise immediately stood up, his grin turning into an awestruck smile.

"Hermione," he practically purred, making Draco sick. "You look even more beautiful then usual."

Draco got up too, and turned around to look at her. iDamn/i, Blaise was absolutely right; Hermione Granger looked utterly breathtaking, again. She was wearing a knee-length dark blue skirt beginning at her waist with a sensible white blouse tucked inside. Dark stockings and boots finished her look, making her seem both elegant and comfortable. She let her hair fall freely in light curls around her face, painted only with hints of make-up.

She smiled shyly at the two man, giving Draco a slightly uncertain look. He smiled at her gently, trying to let her know how utterly beautiful she looked. Her smile brightened and at that moment Draco couldn't suppress it anymore; it really didn't matter that she looked so beautiful at that moment, he always found her beautiful, even when she wore sweat pants and over-sized jumpers. He could not ignore the truth anymore; Draco Lucius Malfoy found Hermione Jean Granger attractive, very, very, attractive.

"We better get going, Hermione," Blaise's voice cut through his epiphany. "The show will start soon."

"Where…" Draco cleared his throat. "Where are you two going?"

"We're going to see a play and then to eat dinner at a restaurant," Hermione answered, beaming at her date. Blaise walked over to her and took her hand in his, grinning at Draco.

"Don't worry, mate, I'll have her home at… some point." The Italian told him, smiling wickedly at Hermione and leading her out the door. And so Draco was left alone, unable to think of anything other then the smile Hermione had given his dark-skinned friend.

000

"Don't you have a whole Manor to yourself?" Draco grumbled as he spotted Blaise on his couch for the second time since his date with Hermione two weeks and a half before. The Italian just shrugged, his eyes not leaving the book he was currently reading. "Where's Hermione?" he asked impatiently, turning to the kitchen to make himself a drink; hopefully, something strong.

"In her room, getting changed, we're going out for coffee…" Blaise answered. A quiet growl left Draco's lips. iMerlin, this attraction is really getting out of hand/i, he thought bitterly, taking a gulp of his Firewhisky.

"I'm ready, Blaise, let's go!" Hermione called out. Draco walked back to the living room. "Oh, hi Draco," she said, smiling as she saw him at the entrance of the kitchen. She also noticed the half-empty glass in his hand, frowning at him.

"It's been a long day," he muttered, not looking at her. "By the way," he said as he walked towards the small office they had made a library. "I won't be going to the Weasley dinner this week."

"Why?" both Hermione and Blaise asked at the same time.

He smirked to himself before answering, "I have a date."

000

"Well, that was a mess," Draco muttered to himself as he sat down on the couch, a stiff drink already in hand, after his disastrous date. It was bound to fail from the start really, considering he wasn't even the slightest bit interested in what his date had to say. The bomb-shell blonde should have been perfect, she wasn't very smart and she was a model, exactly the kind of girl he was expected to date. He had tended to her on Thursday at the hospital and when she was discharged had decided to ask her out'; Hermione was right after all- it was time to get in the game.

So he picked her up Friday night and took her to a nice, fancy restaurant in Diagon Alley; that's when the whole thing backfired in his face. The conversation was horribly, unbearably, atrociously b-o-r-i-n-g! He had gotten so used to intelligent conversation with Hermione, Blaise, Ginny, Potter and even some of the Weasleys that he had lost all capacity to deal with utter idiocy.

He was so uninterested that he couldn't even remember his date's iname/i; at which point, of course, what-ever-her-name-was had left him in the restaurant, not that he could blame her, really. So he returned home after finishing his meal (it really was quite a good restaurant and it seemed a shame for all that food to go to waste).

And now he was pathetically waiting for Hermione to come home. It really was quite pitiful the way he was yearning for the girl his best friend was currently dating, and whom he liked. iWait just a minute!/i LIKE? Since when did he ilike/i Hermione Granger? Of course, she was smart, kind, honest, brave, intelligent and beautiful, but he was just attracted to her, wasn't he? He wasn't supposed to ilike/i her! And yet, his heart and his brain were screaming at him that he did, in fact, like Hermione and a small whisper at the back of his head hinted that these feelings have been there for quite some time.

He stiffly got up from the couch and walked to his bedroom. Not bothering to take off his clothes, he fell, face first, into the soft material of his bed, which is where Blaise found him the next day.

"Drake! Mate! Wake up!" the dark-skinned wizard called, shaking Draco until he groaned and fumbled to a seated position. "So how was your date?" his best friend asked, giving him a Cheshire cat grin.

Draco burrowed his head in his hands, mumbling under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Horrible," Draco muttered, sighing. "I like someone already, apparently, and she was the only thing I could think of during the ridiculously bad date," he confessed.

"Finally!" Blaise exclaimed, his grin widening impossibly. "Took you damn well long enough!"

"Pardon?" Draco asked, dumbfounded.

"So what are you going to do about it? Are you going to ask her out?" his friend asked, practically jumping up and down like a teenaged school-girl.

"She's dating someone…" Draco deadpanned, looking at the floor.

"No she's not."

"Yes she is!"

"No, Draco, Hermione Granger is not dating anyone at the moment." Draco blinked at his friend, opened his mouth to speak, closed it, opened it again then left it shut before opening it again.

"But… She… You… No… HOW?"

"She likes someone else," Blaise said, smirking. "And if we're at it, so do I; remember Daphne Greengrass?" The dark-skinned man smiled at his still dumbfounded best friend.

"Happy for you… Now what did you say about Hermione?"

"On our date, I realized she already likes someone- she wouldn't stop talking about him, so we decided we were better suited as friends. So now you have an opportunity, what are you going to do?"

"But I don't!" Draco exclaimed as he got up and started pacing. "You just said she likes someone!"

"Merlin, you can be thick sometimes!" Blaise told him, shaking his head.

"You mean… she… me…" Draco mumbled, stopping dead in his tracks. Blaise just nodded, giving the blonde a reassuring smile. "MERLIN!" Draco whooped, smiling brightly and actually jumping up. He smiled at his best friend in thanks.

"You still need to take it slow, Drake. She still cares for Weasley and she's still hurt by him and afraid to be hurt again. I'm pretty sure she's the real deal for you-" Draco nodded solemnly, taking in every word. "So you need to be smart about it, don't let her know yet, take your time. Be her friend first, then her lover. That's what she needs right now, alright?" Draco nodded again.

Blaise got up and walked to the door, opening it and stepping out, but before he left he looked at the blonde man and said, "Oh, and if you hurt her, I won't care that you're my best friend, am I clear?"

He swallowed then answered, "Crystal."

With these parting words, Draco was left to his thoughts on how to make Hermione Jean Granger ihis/i.

000

It was Friday night as Draco and Hermione made their way across the garden to the Burrow for dinner. They were chatting lightly, she teasing him about his awful date from last week and him moaning repeatedly for her to stop as they walked inside. "Hermione," Weasley's voice called in greeting. He showed up a second later, a dark haired woman on his arm. It took a minute for Draco to recognize her as the last time he had seen her she was a frightened girl with tousled hair and dark, fearful eyes; the Pansy Parkinson standing before them now, looked, for the first time in her life, truly happy (if not a bit awkward at meeting Hermione). She was glowing! Pansy smiled brightly at Draco then looked uneasily at Hermione.

"Hermione, this is my girlfriend, Pansy," Weasley beamed at his ex and Draco had the sudden urge to punch the guy, and hard.

"Girl…girlfriend…" Hermione murmured silently so only Draco could hear. "He…Hello, Pansy, it's… Lovely to see you again," she politely said, even managing a little smile at the ex-Slytherin.

"Draco! Hermione!" Molly Weasley suddenly appeared, hugging the two while almost deliberately ignoring the tense atmosphere. "I'm so glad both of you could make it this week! It wasn't the same without you, Draco, dear," Molly beamed, leading them to through the house to the back garden where a long table was set up, already surrounded by people. "Charlie, Bill, Fleur…" she giggled, "Well, I think just about everyone is here. And I see you've met Pansy," she gave them a look that said she thought Pansy was perfectly nice, but she much preferred Hermione. The bushy-haired brunette smiled in thanks at the Weasley matriarch before walking away to greet everyone.

"I told him he should wait with it," Molly confided quietly. "But he seems truly happy with Pansy and she's a lovely girl. But Hermione is still hurt and I don't think Blaise Zabini is the one that's going to help her through this." She looked pointedly at Draco who stiffened at hearing Molly agree with Blaise. "I keep waiting for her to realize the right guy for her is much closer then he seems but she stays amazingly ignorant. It seems Mr. Right is going to need to make a move sooner then expected," and with that said, she walked away, a mischievous smile brightening her motherly face. Apparently, everyone thought Draco and Hermione should be together, and they all decided to join forces and do something about it; iwell, that's a comforting thought…/i

Draco walked towards Fred and George, sitting down between them and Hermione. Everyone settled down and were passing the food around when Draco noticed Hermione seemed to be awfully quiet.

"You okay, Princess?" Draco asked quietly, passing the potatoes to the laughing twins. "You haven't even touched your food."

She nodded blankly, her eyes glued to her full plate. The blonde wizard sighed quietly, touching her hand for a minute before returning to a conversation with Charlie who was sitting across from him. Five minutes later she stood up abruptly and walked inside the house.

"What's wrong with 'Mione?" Fred asked, looking at Draco.

"I think it's your brother and Pansy that's got her so on edge…" he muttered in answer.

"That bloody idiot; Mom told him it wasn't a good idea! They've only been broken up for three months- he shouldn't be bringing his fiancé yet!"

"Fiancé?" Draco spluttered, looking at Fred with an open mouth.

"Yeah, didn't you see the ring on her finger? Mind you, he only had the money because he's been working with us for the last six months," the red-haired twin said, frowning.

"I sure as hell didn't see the bloody ring, but I will bet you Hermione saw it and that's why she's so upset. Pansy's seriously engaged to the Weasel?' Draco hissed. Fred nodded, popping a carrot into his mouth. "Merlin, that's absurd…"

He looked towards the house and saw Weasley walking there, a fierce look in his eyes. "Oh no… this is going to get ugly; I better go make sure it doesn't…" he told the twin, getting up and walking briskly after the now-disappeared Weasley.

"You're engaged," Hermione's voice came from the living room, quiet yet firm.

"I'm engaged," Weasley answered, sounding slightly sheepish.

"But… how?" she asked. "It's only been… not long enough…"

"I met Pansy in France a week after… you know… it was fast, I know, but I really love her, and she loves me, and she's willing to be something you never were willing to be for me," he deadpanned and Draco could almost see Hermione's face, as if she'd been slapped.

"I loved you, Ron!" she cried, sounding like she was fighting tears.

"You didn't," he told her calmly, like the sea before a storm. "You loved the idea of the future of us and Harry and Ginny, but lets face it, you never loved me; you always felt as if you were better then me- morally, intellectually, emotionally- and you would have never agreed to be a stay-at-home mom to our children; you care too much about your career, your ipotential/i. We were never going to work, especially after the war and you and ihim/i," he hissed. Draco got the distinct feeling he should not be listening to this conversation.

"Don't you idare/i bring him into this again! He has nothing to do with what happened to ius/i!" Hermione cried and Draco could now hear the tears in her voice. "He has been nothing but a friend to me!"

"You spent more time with ihim/i then me!" They were definitely talking about him. "And the way he looks at you! Did you really expect me to believe you don't care for him more then you ever did for me? I could see it in your eyes, Hermione; you wished I was him!" Weasley shouted as Hermione sobbed loudly. "And you and Harry accepted him iso easily/i, as if he had never done all those horrible things to us! As if he didn't try to kill Dumbledore!"

The room became silent as Draco strained to hear. Finally a shocked whisper came, "I loved iyou/i, Ron, and he had inever/i hurt me as much as you did," and with a loud Pop! She was gone, leaving behind a fuming Weasley and a shocked Draco.

"PANSY!" Weasley shouted as he stomped out the living room, not taking any notice of the slightly out-of-breath blonde wizard leaning against the wall. "WE'RE LEAVING!" Soon Draco heard two familiar pops of apparition and still he stayed frozen in his spot, thinking over what he had just heard.

"Draco?" Ginny timidly asked. He turned to her automatically, his mind miles away. "Where's Hermione?" she asked gently, putting a hand on his arm.

"Gone…" he mumbled.

"What happened?"

"She and Weasley had a fight… about…" he muttered then shook his head, trying to tell her he just couldn't talk about it yet. She nodded, smiling slightly at him.

"You need to find her," the red-haired witch told him then walked away. "Good luck!"

Not giving himself time to think, Draco immediately apparated home. "HERMIONE!" he called out, running through the rooms in search of the weeping girl. The house was the same as they've left it, empty. He checked the Potters house, Grimmauld Place, his aunt's house, Neville's apartment, he even flooed to the Ministry, but she was nowhere to be found.

Finally, he went to the last place he could think of- the Rose Gardens.

She stood between the roses, hugging herself as her hair was whipped back and forth by the rough wind. "Did you know roses are my mother's favorite flower? And my grandmother's, and mine? That's why I made the flowers roses- they remind me of family, of home," She said as he walked behind her. She turned to him and he could see the fresh tear streaks staining her pink cheeks. "I knew you'd find me," she mumbled with a weak smile before falling into his arms, sobbing hard. His arms circled around her shaking form and he just held her in the darkness as she cried.

"It's going to be okay, Hermione, I'm here for you," he told her over and over again, his hand brushing her hair absentmindedly until she calmed down slightly.

Finally, he let her go, seating her down on one of the few benches scattered around the gardens; he did keep his arm around her as she seemed to be cold in her light jacket.

"Hermione… I have to ask… did you and Weasley break-up because of me?" he asked as gently as he could, looking at her tenderly.

"No… it was one of the things we fought over, but at the end, it wasn't you; it was our inability to love each other without trying to constantly change one another. He's right to say we would have never worked," she muttered, looking at her lap.

"Then it's for the best," he told her, lifting her chin up gently so she had to look at him. "He and Pansy will be happy or they won't be, it shouldn't matter to you anymore," he said quietly.

"But it does!" she cried, fresh tears standing in her chocolate eyes. "Of course it does! We dated for six months! I've had a crush on him since I was fourteen! Merlin, I thought I was going to marry him and have his children!" Draco winced at that. "I hope he'll be happy. But he hurt me, Draco, so bad! The fights with him were awful! He always knows where to hit so it would hurt the most; all my weaknesses, all my fears!" she cried, letting Draco hold her close. They stayed like that for hours, him holding her and her leaning her head on his shoulder, her hands in his, until the moon stood high in the sky; and Draco felt right, and Draco felt home.

000

After that disastrous Friday dinner at the beginning of April, things sort of settled. Neither Draco nor Hermione saw Weasley or Pansy (though they both got matching invitations to the wedding- a thing they did not discuss), the Potters would come by at least once a week, usually along with Blaise and Daphne Greengrass (his new girlfriend) for dinner and games, and Hermione remained ignorant to Draco's feelings. He found himself wishing to tell her at the oddest moments, like when she read to him something she found particularly interesting in the paper, or when they would sit in the living room and complain about work, or when they worked side by side at the Rose Gardens and her hair was messily pulled back and her face were covered with dirt. That wasn't the worst part, however; the worst part was that his body seemed to have a mind of its own, drawn to come in contact with hers at every opportunity. He almost couldn't stop himself from just leaning down and kissing her right smack on the lips.

But he tried hard just to be there for her as a friend would and he succeeded most of the time; he doubted a truly platonic friend would have touched her as much as he did, but she didn't seem to mind it.

Then it was May.

It was Saturday, and three hundred and fifty four days after the Battle of Hogwarts had been fought. The wizarding world had been in a frenzy to celebrate and to celebrate big, to show its people that they had successfully rebuilt themselves. The Ministry had sent an invitation to both Draco and Hermione during April for both the memorial ceremony and the party afterwards, sending Hermione a special letter telling her she would be receiving an award alongside Messrs. Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. She was quite enthusiastic about the whole thing, going on and on about how she would be able to promote the Rose Gardens in her thank you. And then it was Sunday.

Draco woke up at noon, not quite believing it had been a year since he feared for his life. And life was good now; his father was gone, his mother was happy and surrounded by family, he had friends and a job, but most of all, he had Hermione, and that was worth all the trouble the war had caused him. For the first time in his life, Draco was happy. So he got out of bed and, whistling a light tune, walked out of his room and into the kitchen where Hermione sat, books upon books scattered across the tabletop looking as if she was back at Hogwarts, studying in the Library for her exams.

"Good morning," he greeted, leaning down and kissing her cheek fondly. She looked up at him in surprise.

"Good iafternoon/i to you too, Draco," she smiled touching her cheek softly. "So what's got you in such a good mood?"

"Just happy to be alive," he grinned, breaking an egg into the frying pan. She laughed sweetly making him even more light-hearted. "Excited for your big night?" he asked, munching on a piece of slightly burned toast. She nodded, smiling sheepishly.

"We better start getting ready soon," she muttered, clearing the table. "We need to be in Hogsmeade at four, which is in an hour... I'm going to take a shower." She got up, and, stealing one of Draco's neatly cut cucumbers with a devilish grin, walked to her room. Draco was so distracted looking at her that he almost burnt his omelet, managing to some how save it just in time.

000

"First of all, I would like to thank my two best friends, Harry and Ron who share the glory and the burden of this victory just as much as I do. Second, to all the people who helped us reach this seemingly impossible goal in a time of great fear and terror, we all fought hard and this is iour/i victory," Hermione said, her voice magnified so that all the hundreds of people standing in the grounds of Hogwarts would be able to hear her. "This year has been a year of healing, rebuilding and moving on. We have all worked hard to put the past behind us and yet still pay our respects to the people who are not here with us to celebrate. We constructed these people a tombstone in our heart and in our souls, so we would forever remember what we fought for and what the price was. And so I also wish to thank all the people who took a part of the Rose Gardens project this year and for all the ones that will come and help next. I couldn't have done it by myself." A round of applause followed her words.

"And lastly, I want to thank Draco Lucius Malfoy," and she looked straight at him, "who had been more then just my friend and much, much more then just my partner. I would not have survived the war without you and I definitely would not have survived this year without you. Thank you." A massive round of applause wound all across the hills rolling away from the school as people stood on their feet and gave the Golden Trio their respects. Potter and Hermione smiled shyly and quickly got down from the stage, Weasley grinned at the crowd, gave a little wave then started down the steps and towards the place his fiancé was seating in the front row.

"So what did you think?" Hermione asked in a whisper as she sat down next to him, trying not to disturb the man now talking on stage.

"Thank you, Hermione," he murmured quietly, taking her small hand in his. "It meant a lot." She blushed sweetly and smiled at him, squeezing his hand.

They sat in silence for the rest of the ceremony, both not listening as they concentrated on their intertwined fingers.

As if timed (which it probably was), the ceremony ended with fireworks just as the sun fully set behind the Scottish mountains. Everyone "ooh'd" and "ahh'd" until the whole thing was over, then they all got up and headed to their houses. Draco and Hermione stood up slowly, wanting the moment to never end then let go of each other, looking sheepishly away. They quickly apparated home and disappeared into their rooms, trying desperately not to look each other in the eye.

It was half past eight and Draco was pacing the floor, waiting for Hermione to grace him with her bloody presence already.

"Will you just come the bloody hell out of there?" he shouted, his pace quickening.

"Five more minutes!" she called back, then proceeded to take twenty more.

"Granger!" Draco screamed. "You have two seconds or I'm going in-" the door opened, "- there…" he mumbled staring at the woman in front of him.

He thought it all the time really but when she looked like that it just made it all the more obvious that Hermione Jean Granger was stunningly, amazingly beautiful. She wore a tight, midnight blue cocktail dress that hugged her figure in all the right places yet managed to hide everything, making her look classic, mysterious and enticing. Her hair was left down, framing her lightly made-up face with dark, almost amber curls, and her shoes were classic black peep-toes. A shy and unbelievably attractive smile finished the look. "You…" he cleared his throat, "You look… beautiful," he murmured quietly, taking her hand and kissing it lightly. She giggled at his antics and he relished at the sound. He gave her a lopsided smirk as he offered her his arm. "Milady, shall we?" She laughed again then laid her hand in his, and a warm rush ran through his body at her touch as he apparated them away.

000

They danced all night, and when they weren't physically together they tried to stay in each other's line of sight. It was two a.m. when she was back in his arms, this time for a slow song. They were both quite tipsy by then and so they swayed slowly, holding close and moving gently from side to side.

"Merlin, Hermione," he murmured gently in her ear, leaning down to her height. "You look so beautiful tonight. I've wanted to have you here in my arms for so long." He kissed her behind the ear and felt her shudder against him.

She leaned her head against his chest and sighed contently. "I've been waiting too," she whispered, her hands running through his hair.

"You have?" he asked in surprise, looking down at her head of hair.

She nodded against him, holding him closer. He could feel every line of her body against his and it was sending all the blood away from his head. Hermione's hands were now drawing shapes on his exposed neck while breathing gently on his neckline. His body was going mad with want as he buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair, just breathing her intoxicating scent. She was exquisite in every way, her mind, body and soul the perfect counterpart to his. She really was iit/i for him and he wasi sick of playing nice and waiting/i. He was igoing/i to have her.

Just as he was about to kiss her, the song changed, and Draco and Hermione were rudely ripped away from each other as the Harry, Ginny, Blaise, Daphne, Neville, Luna and even Weasley and Pansy joined them in an up-beat song. They were all jumping up and down, and Draco couldn't find Hermione through the crowd now, only able to curse their so-called 'friends'; at the moment they were all keeping him away from holding Hermione smack against his body. So he moved away from them all, grabbed the brunette's arm, and led her away from the loud dance floor.

"Let's go home," he murmured in her ear, circling her with both his arms and kissing her neck.

"Okay," she nodded, smiling sheepishly at him.

They apparated home as he started kissing her.

"I've wanted to do this for so damn long," he moaned, as she ran her hands beneath his shirt.

"This needs to go, now," she whispered in his ear as she unbuttoned his white dress shirt. He nodded, backing her against the door of his room just as she practically ripped his shirt off his shoulders, revealing his chest and stomach to her searing gaze and her exploring hands.

"IThis/i," he virtually purred, sliding his hands down her thighs to the hem of her dress, "needs to go." He slid one hand behind her back and, with a fluid movement, unzipped her dress. He ran his hand up and down her now exposed back as his other hand lifted the dress over her head, exposing her perfect, creamy skin to him. He sucked in a breath, his eyes running up and down her now only slightly covered body in awe as his hands stilled on her thin waist.

"You are so lovely," he whispered, leaning down and finally touching his lips to hers.

It was a heated kiss in its passion that made them both pant and moan and cling closer to one another. Her hands gripped his hair as she raked her nails through his strands of blonde while his hands sneaked around to her back, drawing her closer to him and making their naked stomachs touch. Draco shivered at the feel of her chest rising and falling alongside his as she gave him entry. Their kiss was far from gentle, filled with passion born of months of wanting and waiting, yet it still conveyed to her every emotion he felt and as they battled for dominance, he could see stars. As if on a drug, he could literally see all the people in his life as stars in the night for a brief second and, in that precious moment, he picked the warmest, safest, most beautiful star in his sky; he picked Hermione Jean Granger as his love.

"I want you, Draco," Hermione whispered then, making Draco's body catch on desperate fire as his heart skipped a beat. "Now," and with that they walked backwards to Draco's room.

000

iNo need to say good-bye

You'll come back/i


	4. Hope

**A/N:** The last chapter.

I hoped you enjoyed this little journey, I know I have.

So there are a few people who deserve thanks: first off to my AMAZING beta, UnseenLibrarian, who managed to beta this story at the last second against all odds and did an amazing job battling the evil forces of my spelling (trust me it's hard!).

Second, to my best friend, Mel, who despite being a thorn in my royal ass, has been this story's most avid groupie and cheerleader! None of my stories would be written unless she gave me such fantastic compliments on my writing. Love you, Newton!

*I had wanted to change this chapter because a lot of people frowned on it. Unfortunately, I simply do not have the luxury of time anymore since I'm starting some very intense years… I truly hope that I will one day be able to come back to this story and change this. But for now…*

May you all enjoy this journy as much as I did.

000

**Chapter 4: Hope:**

_Now we're back to the beginning  
>It's just a feeling and no one knows yet<br>But just because they can't feel it too  
>Doesn't mean that you have to forget<br>Let your memories grow stronger and stronger  
>'Til they're before your eyes<em>

**Draco and Hermione's apartment**

**Monday, 3 May, 1999**

Draco woke up to the sound of his alarm clock, its shrill sound making him moan and close his eyes harder, wishing desperately to go back to the wonderful dream he had. Another annoyed sigh came from the brunette witch who was draped over him, mumbling at him to turn the bloody thing off. He untangled himself from the still-sleeping girl and shut off the alarm, only then looking at her.

Hermione was lying on her stomach, her back bare and smooth while her waist and legs were hidden underneath his green silk sheets. Her face rested on her folded arms, her hair wild on the pillow and her breathing even. He couldn't help but admire her curves with his eyes as his fingers itched to touch her skin, to make sure that the night before really happened and that her being with him in his bed wasn't just another dream.

Slowly, he leaned down and kissed the top of her spine. She sighed contently, smiling in her near sleep. His heart swelled and he smiled gently and gave her another kiss, making his way up her neck and jaw, finally giving her a chaste kiss on the mouth.

"Hermione, princess, wake up for a minute," he murmured against her mouth then moved back. She whimpered, moving her face up a little to get closer to his lips. He chuckled lightly, brushing her hair away. "I have to go to work, Blaise and I have a shift today until ten tonight. I have to leave now." She whined again, lifting one hand and touching his face gently.

"I don't want you to go," she murmured, pulling his head down and connecting their lips lightly. There was nothing rushed about the kiss, it was soft, short and tender, and yet Draco could feel his blood begin to boil; if he stayed with her any longer he was going to be very, very late.

"I don't want to go either," he told her, untangling himself grudgingly from her for the second time that morning. "I'll see you tonight, princess." She nodded, her eyes still closed, and flopped back on the bed. He chuckled and kissed her cheek once again before dressing up, grabbing an apple from the kitchen and apparating away to the hospital.

"Good morning," he greeted Blaise with a brilliant smile.

His best friend looked at him with an annoyed look, groaning slightly. "Yeah, yeah… Morning…" he muttered, clutching his head.

"What's wrong with you?" Draco asked, slightly annoyed that Blaise was raining on his parade. "It's a beautiful day; the skies are blue and the birds are chirping."

"You are really annoying, do you know that?" He frowned at Draco and looked to the floor, rubbing at his eyes. "Daph and I drank a lot and went to sleep really late last night; she and Potterette kept buggering Potter and me to dance with them until She-Potter was called to the hospital; apparently Fleur finally gave birth. We ended up getting to the manor at five, and then I had to wake up at this ihorrid/i hour to get here…" he grumbled. "So what's got you so chirpy?"

Before Draco could tell his friend all about his night they were interrupted by their superior. "Ah! Malfoy! Zabini! Glad to see you both managed to wake up and get here on time!" Healer Rogers smiled at them in his usual all-too-toothy grin. "Let's get to work! Zabini you're with me-" Draco mouthed a 'sucks for you, mate' to Blaise who grimaced at his bad luck, "Malfoy you're with Healer Patil, she needs some assistance today and she asked for you, saying you did an exceptionally good job last week with her." Draco grinned at his best friend; Padma Patil, an ex-Ravenclaw from their year who had turned into a Healer while still in Hogwarts, was one of the nicer and most efficient Healers in the hospital. She would let the interns do hard and demanding procedures, guiding them with a sure hand and hard-earned praise. Draco and Blaise only rarely got to work with her and they were grateful for every time.

"Malfoy?" She called, her head appearing behind her office door. "Come along. We have much to do today." He stepped into her office, waving happily at Blaise who looked as if he was being tortured by one of Healer Rogers's idiotic jokes.

"Good morning, Healer Patil," he greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning," she answered absentmindedly, looking through the papers on her desk. "We've got a few interesting cases today," she told him, reading the files. "Mr. Rosewood somehow managed to get his wand stuck in a rather problematic place; some joke, I would guess. You see, he can't sit," she said, looking at Draco and smiling. The blonde intern laughed at the predicament, thinking immediately of how Hermione would laugh when he told her of this that night, her giggles ringing through the apartment. "Also…" she looked at another file, "Ms. Brown had a pedicure accident and she magicked away a few extra body parts; my sister is also with her, same problem. Our last case before lunch would be Fleur and Bill Weasley and their daughter, Victoire. She was born very late last night and we just need to check up on them." She smiled at him and he grinned back, happy that he would be able to see the oldest Weasley and congratulate him so soon after the birth. "I finish my shift after that, so you'll be working with healer Cabot until the end of your shift tonight. Now let's go."

They went through the patients, working efficiently and smoothly, and quickly reached the Weasleys. The entire Weasley clan was seated outside the room, waiting for the okay to go in and see their new niece; including Pansy and Harry, Ginny's head leaning on his shoulder. They all looked very happy and very tired as they smiled up at Draco.

"Draco, dear, it's lovely seeing you here," Molly told him, hugging him warmly.

"Mrs. Weasley," Healer Patil said, smiling at the exhausted mother. "Mr. Malfoy and I need to go in now and check on Victoire before we can let you meet her. So if you would just let my intern go, we would be happy to let you in as soon as we can."

"Oh!" Molly exclaimed, smiling sheepishly and releasing Draco.

"I'll see you all later," he told them, squeezing Molly's hand then walking into the room where the new family was. But not before he heard Fred and George grumble, "How come Malfoy gets to see her before we do?"

"Congrats, guys!" he said, smiling brightly at the new parents. Fleur beamed at him, holding Victoire close to her chest as Bill stood up and shook Draco's hand.

"How come you're here?" the oldest Weasley asked in surprise.

Draco pointed at his badge. "I'm shadowing Healer Patil here for today," he told the red-head, seeing the woman take the baby from her mother's arms and begin the check-up.

"Malfoy, come do your job, will you?" she kidded, holding the little baby up to him. He walked towards Victoire and took her from the Healer's hands, cradling her gently as he marveled at the beauty of the little child. Draco couldn't help but daydream of a pregnant Hermione holding the hand of another child with silver eyes, auburn curls and a sharp, know-it-all mind. He smiled sheepishly at the couple.

"She's beautiful," he told them honestly, studying her bright blue eyes.

"And healthy," the Healer added, running her wand over the little body. "I think you can call your family in now, but remember they can't be here for too long, both the baby and the mother need to rest," she said, looking pointedly at Fleur who smiled guiltily. Bill nodded and took little Victoire from Draco and held her with wonder in his eyes.

"I still can't believe I'm a dad," he muttered.

"You'll be great, Bill," Draco reassured, walking to the door. "I'll go call them in." Bill nodded in thanks then his eyes retuned to his daughter.

"Malfoy," the Healer said, calling his attention for a minute. "You can go to lunch now and afterwards go find Healer Cabot. Have a nice day."

"You too," Draco said then walked out and stood in front of the family, smiling brightly at them. "You can go in now, but you need to be quiet and let Fleur rest as much as she possibly can." The Weasleys thanked him profoundly then walked in, their eyes only for the baby.

Harry stood by the door, letting his wife in and smiling tenderly at her. "So how did things with Hermione go last night?" he asked, surprising Draco.

"Things went… amazing…" Draco mumbled, reddening. Harry smiled knowingly and winked at the blonde, walking in after his wife.

He made his way to the cafeteria in a daze, his mind a few hours back on the night before, reliving everything that had happened.

"Drake!" Blaise called and he made his way towards his friend. "Mate, you're grinning like a fool, stop it, you're freaking me out!" he said, laughing.

"So sorry," Draco muttered sarcastically but the venom was lost as an image of Hermione's lips appeared in his mind.

"Well at least now I know what happened with little Miss Granger," Blaise said, grinning slyly. Draco nodded, not rising to the bait. "Seriously, dude, you've got to snap out of it, you look like a love sick puppy."

"Well, maybe I am," Draco deadpanned, taking a bite from Blaise's sandwich. "The things that girl can do, the things she makes me feel… it's… I really think I'm in love with her, Blaise. She really is iit/i for me."

"Wow," his friend said, his eyes wide with surprise. "That's pretty… wow… I'm happy for you, mate," he told him, smiling.

"I'm happy for me too," Draco grinned and Blaise laughed.

000

Healer Cabot was the personification of the confused doctor. He was a short, heavy man with a bald head and a short, white beard. His glasses were huge and made his muddy eyes seem even bigger and buggier then they were and he tended to misplace them quite a lot. He was a gentle, soft-spoken man and Draco rather liked him. But he was so easily confused that it usually took every ounce of patience Draco had to deal with him nicely. Fortunately, today Draco was feeling as if the world was his and so didn't mind so much that Cabot was especially slow or baffled. He moved smoothly through the day, doing everything he was told with a flare. His self-confidence, a thing he had been unable to find since the war, appeared to have come back and with style.

The world was good; he was in love, and the girl he wanted to be with for the rest of his life was at arm's reach, just waiting to be swept off her feet by his rather charming self. He couldn't seem to stop grinning at everyone; a few old witches gave him the odd eye at his attitude but he couldn't care less, honestly. He could finally have a family the way he had dreamed of having, he realized with a start, his smile turning brilliant.

Finally, he was done with his shift. Breathing a sigh of relief he apparated away to his home and his love, wishing to tell Hermione exactly what he felt for her.

"Hermione!" he called out, stifening a tired sigh. The creature making her way around the corner had him stopping mid yawn. She was wearing Slytherin green shorts with a very, very thin white shirt that seemed to be straining across her chest, and she was smiling at him brightly, making his heart and throuwt constract painfully.

No words were needed as she walked slwaly towards him and took his hand, leading him to his bedroom, that smile gracing her feature the whole time. It was morning when they next said a word.

000

"You seem happy today," Healer Patil comented, smiling at him in that calm all seeing way of hers. He shruged, turning down his grin a little. "Hi, don't stop on my account," she told him, smirking slightly. "It's nice seeing a happy intern for a change. Although…" her smirk turned mischivious. "If you're so happy it just means you havn't got enough work on your hands, get too it, Malfoy, there are storerooms to clean and orginize," she told him, laughing as she turnned her back to him and walked away, leaving him chuckling to himself.

000

"Don't you dare peek!" Draco exclaimed loudly to the sound of her laugh as he ran to the living room, and, after making sure everything was set correctly, ran back and took Hermione's hand in his, leading her gently in. "Okay, you can look now," he whispered, standing by her side and watching her face closly. Slowly, she opened her eyes and gasped as she took in the candle filled room. Rose petals lay on the carpeted floor where a small woven basket stood by a champane bottle and two glasses.

"Merlin… Draco, this is beautiful," she whispered, her eyes wide and her hand holding her heart and then she turned to look at him, adoration, and dare he say, love, shining in her eyes. "Thank you, Draco, this is absolutly beautiful."

Draco took the hand that lay over her chest in his and kissed it, all the while looking her stright into her eyes. "I'll do anything for you, Angel," he murmured over her delicate fingers. Then he moved her hand away and helpped her sit down. "Let's eat," he said quietly, smiling brightly at her, "or the food might get warm." And with a mischivious grin at her confused look, he openned the basket and showed her what was inside. A peal of delighted laughter left her lips as she saw the _cold_ cheese cake sitting inside.

000

Sunday, May 16, 1999

Everyone that was anyone in there life already knew, however, it didn't change the fact that they had decided to make it official that Sunday afternoon as they gathered in the Burrow's back yard. They had walked in together, holding hands in public for the first time, both beaming at eachother brightly as they talked to their friends, never letting one another go. Just as Molly called for dinner and brought out the food, Hermione suddenly let go of his arm and ran inside, a hand over her mouth. Draco looked worridly at her running figure, wondering if he should go after her. Finally deciding he should hw walked after her searching through the house for her and finally finding her on the floor of the upstairs bathroom.

"Hermione, Angel, are you alright?" he asked, moving her hair from her slightly green face.

"I…I'm fine, love…" she mumbuled. "Could you call Ginny please?" she asked in a slightly trembuling voice.

"Of course. Just tell me what's wrong," he muttured, brushing her cheek.

"It's nothing. I'm just feeling a bit sick, must be something I ate. Just call Ginny please?" she begged. At her shacky tone, he quickly got up and left to call the red haired Potterette.

"Ginny!" he called loudly, waiting for the girl to get closer to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Hermione's sick," Draco told her with concern clear in his voice and on his face. "She asked for you."

"Oh. Of course. Don't worry, Drake," she said as she already started walking to the house. "I'll make sure she's all better!"

Fifteen minutes later, the two girls walked back out, heads bent together as they whispered to each other with serious faces.

Draco smiled as they walked towards him and imdiatly fell silent. "Everything alright, girls?"

"We're perfectly fine, why?" they both answered at the same time. Draco laughed as he looked at Hermione's face, she looked a lot better although she seemed to be somewhat concerned about something.

"Are you feeling better, Angel?" he asked, taking her hand back in his and squeezing it slightly. She smiled at him and gave him a small peck on the chick, reasuring him that she was "Perfectly fine" and told him with a smile to stop "babying" her. After another five minutes of reasurences from both Hermione and Ginny he let it go and they went to eat.

000

Draco was just about to leave her office, when Healer Patil called him. "Draco!" He stoped in his tracks and turned around completely bewildered as to way she had suddenly called him by his first name.

"What is it?" he asked, looking at her uncertinly.

"I just…" She looked down at her desk top. "I just wanted to make sure that you knew that… we were… friends…?"

He looked at her quizedly before smiling at her and saying, "Sure we are… Padma?"

The smile she gave him was the brightest he had ever gotten from her.

000

Hermione had been throwing up for a week when he finally confranted her about it.

"What's going on, Hermione?" he asked, looking at her from across the kitchen. "Are you sick?"

"I'm fine, Draco!" she said loudly, exaspereated by his constant questions. "Please, just let it go!"

"I'm not going to let this go! There's something wrong and you're not telling me what it is!" He walked to her and grabed her by her shoulders. "Tell me!"

"Ouch! Draco! Let go! You're hurting me!" He imidiatly let her go and stepped away as he saw the tears standing in her eyes. She turned her back to him and walked to her room. She came out five minutes later, holding our a large doffle bag and calling out in a horse voice that she was sleeping over at the Potters house. Before he could say anything, she apparated away.

000

"Potter! This has nothing to do with you so move out of my way before I blast you to the bloody fires of hell!" Draco said as menicengly as he could manage in his sheer panic. He hadn't seen his bloody _girlfriend_ in two whole bloody days and he was at his wit's end. Of course, Ginny had been kind enough to tell him that Hermione was fine and just needed a little time to herself.

"She's gone!" Draco cried. "I've looked every where! The Potters', every single one of the Weasleys', Neville's, Luna's, the Ministry, Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, The Leaky, the Rose Gardens, I even called her parents' in Australia! No one's heard anything from her!" he screamed, throwing a vase against the wall and watching it smash to smithereens. "Her boss told me she sent him her resignation letter this morning. She's gone, and I don't get it!" He banged his fists against the table top. "I don't get it, Blaise, everything was so good; I was happy, she seemed so happy yesterday morning. And now SHE'S GONE!" He fell to the couch, burying his head in his hands.

"This is the only thing she left," he muttered, handing Blaise the note he had found that morning in her empty room.

i'Don't look for me.

Sorry.'/i

"I'm sorry, Drake, I don't know what to tell you," his friend said, reading the note over and over.

"Tell me you know where she is, damn it!"

"But I don't," he told him calmly, angering Draco farther.

"I need her, Zabini, here, now, with me," he said through gritted teeth.

"I can't help you," Blaise said, sighing. "You won't be able to find her if she doesn't want to be found, Draco, and you know it. Just let it go, she'll come back when it's right for her."

"Let it go? LET IT GO? I ilove/i her, Blaise! I can't just give up on her when I know she wants me, too!"

"Well, maybe she doesn't want you!" Blaise yelled, his calm haze finally cracking. Draco stopped short, looking at him with shock.

"You're the one who told me she does…" Draco mumbled.

"Yeah, well, maybe I was wrong! I sure was about Daphne…" he muttered, looking at the floor.

"Wha… what do you mean?"

Blaise sighed. "She and I had a huge fight last night about our jobs; she ended up staying the night at her mother's house."

"I'm… sorry… I had no idea…"

"It's alright," he sniffed. "You've got enough trouble with Hermione disappearing. And I'm sorry for what I said. She does like you and want you."

"Did she tell you that?" Draco asked, wanting to know if he had missed something.

"Not directly, but I could tell by the way she wouldn't stop talking about you during our date, we hardly talked of anything other then you really; it was kind of annoying actually," he grinned weakly. "I'm sure she'll turn up at some point, Drake, just give her time to accept the way she feels for you. You've known how you feel for ages; she's been oblivious to all of this. Just give her itime/i."

Draco nodded, not trusting his voice. As hard as it was for him, he would give her time, he would let her come to terms with the fact that he liked her and wanted her and that she wanted him, and when she came back, he was going to make her his, permanently.

000

Time passed.

000

Monday, 10 May, 1999.

000

Tuesday, 11 May, 1999.

000

Wednesday, 12 May, 1999.

000

Thursday, 13 May, 1999.

000

Friday, 14 May, 1999.

000

Saturday, 5 June, 1999.

Draco's birthday was a loud affair, orchestrated by Molly Weasley in the hopes of cheering him up. He was opening his presents somberly, not really paying attention when Harry gave him a rectangular present, wrapped in green paper with a gold bow. He immediately knew who it was from.

Draco ripped the paper away and looked at the book that was revealed. On the inside cover of 'Matilda' two words were written in iher/i beautiful, familiar handwriting.

'Happy Birthday.'

000

Wednesday, 30 June, 1999.

"Are you alright, Malfoy?" Healer Patil asked him, giving him a look of concern.

"Yeah, yeah… just fine…" he muttered, unable to hide his depression.

"Draco," she said, putting her hand on his arm. "If you need a friend, I'm here."

"Thank you… Padma…"

She smiled at him, but he felt no warmth inside; his heart was empty, a hole, left by iher/i.

000

Sunday, 25 July, 1999.

In a massive ceremony both the Ministry and the hospital had arranged, Draco and Blaise were declared Healers. The minute Blaise got his diploma he jumped up enthusiastically and into the arms of his fiancée, Daphne Greengrass. Draco looked into the crowd. There sat his friends, Neville, Luna, Pansy and even Padma, along with a group of waving red-heads, but he only saw the shake of the head a certain Wizarding-Savior gave him.

iShe/i wasn't there.

000

Saturday, 14 August, 1999.

Draco came alone to Weasley and Pansy's wedding. He sat down and watched his friends dance. He drank, a lot, and by the end of the night, had to be dragged to his apartment by Blaise and Daphne who made sure he was okay then went home.

He didn't fall asleep; instead, he walked around the rooms in his drunken stupor, wishing he could still call it home.

He didn't walk into iher/i room.

000

Wednesday, 22 September, 1999.

Draco and Blaise stood in the Rose Gardens. It was Draco's first visit there since ishe/i left and the whole thing made his heart ache for iher/i. The sun was just about to set as they looked out across the colorful fields, admiring the view.

"She really is an amazing girl," Blaise said, whistling as the sun disappeared behind the mountains, coloring the sky. "I can understand why you love her so much."

Draco just nodded, unable to say anything.

"Listen, Drake, I've been meaning to ask you something…" Blaise began, shuffling his feet.

"What is it?"

"Willyoubemybestman?"

"What?" Draco asked, chuckling slightly and looking at his embarrassed best friend.

"Will you be my best man?" he asked again, his dark cheeks turning a lighter shade as he blushed.

The blonde wizard was now laughing openly, as his friend looked at him with a scowl. "Of course I will, mate. After all, what are best friends for?"

000

Friday, 29 October, 1999.

Blaise and Draco were sitting down in Blaise's manor, just drinking Firewhisky in silence as Daphne was out in the yard with her fiancée's mother, going over wedding arrangements. It was one of Draco's good days, when he almost couldn't remember why his heart hurt so much. On good days, he was almost happy again; just as Draco was contemplating this, Harry Potter flooed in.

The Chosen One sat down, poured himself a drink then took a sip from it.

"Ginny's pregnant," He muttered finally, taking a great big swig from his glass.

"Ginny's… pregnant?" Draco cried looking at Harry in shock. The-Boy-Who-Lived nodded solemnly, finishing his drink. "And why are you not jumping up and down in joy? Aren't you the one who's always wanted to have a large family as early as you possibly could?" Draco asked, smiling at his friend.

"I am… I'm just… slightly shocked… that's all…" Harry answered, smiling sheepishly at Draco and Blaise. They both laughed at him, and soon he joined in. When they finally calmed down, Draco raised his glass and called, "Cheers, Harry! May you and Ginny always be happy with the future little Potters!"

"Cheers!" his friends answered, clicking their glasses to him.

"Oh, Merlin help us," Blaise laughed. "More Potters! So when is she due?"

000

Tuesday, 16 November, 1999.

Blaise sat Draco down and gave him a drink.

"What's going on?" the blonde asked suspiciously.

"It's been seven months, Drake…"

"So?" Draco asked, already on the defense.

"So, I think it's time for you to move on and-"

"No!"

"You didn't even hear me through!" Blaise objected, scowling at him. "I mean, you and Padma have gotten pretty close, and I'm sure she's interested. Why don't you just listen to me for a minute?"

"I don't need to! You were the one who told me to wait for her! You were the one who told me she'll come back! I am inot/i giving up on her! And definitely not for Padma!" Draco yelled, standing up and banging his fists on Blaise's office desk. "Don't you understand?" he asked, his voice deflated. "She's it for me. She's my Daphne, my Ginny, my Pansy. No one else will do."

"I understand, Drake, and I know what you feel. But I don't think she's coming back. And it's hurting you. You put all your energy into finding her. You don't show it at work or with any of our friends but I can see you're depressed. You can't stay this way; clinging to a dream that will never come true!"

"I am inot/i giving up!" and with that said, he left Blaise's office, banging the door loudly behind him.

000

Friday, 24 December, 1999.

It was eight months after ishe/i left and Draco was seated at the Weasley Christmas table. It was well past the end of dinner but Weasley, Pansy, Harry, Ginny and he were still sitting there; drinking quietly and all thinking of the same thing- where ishe/i could be.

The large grandfather clock chimed two when Draco got up, but before he could leave, a round and pregnant bundle of red curls whooshed through across the room and hit him.

"She-" hit "left-" punch "because-" shove "of-" stab "YOU!"

He stopped dead. "What… what do you mean…?"

"She was in love with you, you big oaf! And now she's gone! And it's ALL YOUR FREAKING FAULT!" she screamed, collapsing on him, her small hands still hitting his chest in a clear sign of pain and frustration.

"Wait! W-H-A-T? She iloves/i me?" Draco asked, holding Ginny's shoulders. She screamed at the pain of losing her best friend and he tried to shake her. The red-head only nodded, crying hard. He sat her down and looked at her. "Where is she?" he asked, his voice frantic now. He turned to the two boys. "Please! Tell me! I need to see her! I need to tell her iI love her too!/i"

They looked at him with a hard glare, looked at each other, then, finally, "Alright," Harry said as he and Weasley got up. "We'll tell you."

000

Thursday, 30 December, 1999.

Draco was standing in front of slightly run-down apartment building in Paris, checking the name plates by the door. It took him nearly a minute to find the one labeled 'Parkinson' on the third floor.

In two minutes he was there. iThis is it,/i he told himself mentally as he stood in front of the door, the hand holding the humungous bouquet of roses shaking slightly. With his free arm he rang the door bell.

"One moment!" Her voice called out sounding tired and defeated. Then the door opened and Hermione Jean Granger stood before him, a wry smile on her face until she recognized him; than her features turned to surprise, fear and relief all mixed into one.

"I knew you'd find me," she whispered, tears already standing in her eyes like they did all those months ago at the Rose Gardens. He gave her the flowers in his hands and for a second she disappeared behind the sheer mass of roses before she moved them aside.

"Hermione," he breathed, looking at her as if she was a mirage. Her face looked the same, if not a bit more tired and wry. Her hair was longer and even messier but he loved it that way. His eyes kept moving down and that was when he saw her stomach; even though she seemed to try to hide it behind a large shirt he could see it was very round. It took him a minute to realize what he was seeing. Hermione was pregnant and, by the sparkle in her eye, it was his. He looked her in the eye, from where the tears were now flowing freely as she smiled wryly at him, her hand not holding the flowers gently touching her stomach.

The vision he had had while seeing baby Victoire came back with a rush, and he saw himself hugging Hermione's large belly while a little rose-bud child ran around them, laughing and smiling brightly.

And so, gaining hope from the sparkle in her eyes and the roundness of her belly, Draco told her what he'd been wanting to say for the last two years, ever since she came to Grimmauld Place and cried in his arms.

"I love you."

000

iYou'll come back  
>When they call you<br>No need to say good bye  
>You'll come back<br>When they call you/i

bA\N:/b For all those who wandered: Draco and Hermione's daughter was born a month and a half after; her name is Matilda Rose Malfoy. She has her father's eyes, her mother's hair, and her nose is constantly buried in a book. Three years later they had little Remus Severus Malfoy. He's a real snake with chocolate-brown eyes and near-white hair and loves his little cat Tonks. The happy family is currently expecting their third child, a boy.


End file.
